My Worst Nightmare
by Angkeats
Summary: Jennie lives and works in LA and decides to take a break back home to the UK to get away from some troubling problems...little did she know that what she found on her vacation would be much worse than what she had left behind...
1. Good Idea

**Hello All**

**I'm still finishing up some of my longer stories, I'm struggling with endings, so I thought I would post this.**

**Just a short taster chapter, we'll see if you want to read more…**

**Please review! Oh and check out some of my favourite stories, there's some great writers out there :)**

**CHAPTER 1**

I had thought it was a good idea. It sure had seemed like a good idea when I had seen the brochure. I have spent the last six weeks getting excited about this break and now all of a sudden, I don't feel excited anymore.

The brochure for the 'Country Challenge' sounded ideal. I had been working really hard and I was dying for a break but none of my friends could afford to go away and I never had liked beach holidays so when I had seen this advert for a singles break away with a difference, it seemed perfect. Lots of fresh air, amazing views, a few challenges along the way with a great opportunity to meet people and enjoy the company of strangers. Sometimes I just needed that, to get lost in a crowd.

The holiday consisted of a lot of walking along with camping and team building exercises which all sounded amazing and I had collected all of the necessary gear needed for the trip, storing it up with a gleeful smile every time I looked into my store cupboard.

The mini-bus ride over to the meeting point of the start of our trek was exciting. The land was green and hilly surrounding us and I had never been to the Lake District before so I was excited to test the terrain.

I found tears in my eyes as I came off the bus to meet the group leader, Dom. I was actually going to make a go of something, all on my own, and something I couldn't mess up like I had with my job. But I didn't want to think about that right now.

There seemed to be a lot of people on board, but there was about 20 of us in total and I had been chatting to some of the ladies on the bus, most of whom were a little older than my young age of twenty one. I had also got stuck with Luke, Dom's sidekick who was also advancing in years at a hefty rate but the owner of a keen eye it would seem; if his glances toward my chest were anything to go by.

Everyone had thought it odd that I wanted to go out trekking in the wilderness and sleeping rough at my age when most of my friends were bathing in the sun in Santorini, but sitting on a beach was not my idea of fun. As hard as it was for everyone to believe.

I guess with my long chestnut hair and big brown eyes, they figured that I was only good for girly things, but I was made of stronger stuff. They just didn't know it yet.

As we made our way over to the rest of the group, who appear to have arrived separately, I glimpsed sight of a head of brown hair that looked awfully familiar. I smiled to myself as I thought no it couldn't possibly be him, I must be going crazy.

As I came closer though, gripping my rucksack straps with fear, it became increasingly obvious that my initial thought was not one of pure fabrication.

It was indeed who I thought it was, I would recognize those eyelashes anywhere. My breath hitched in my throat as I watched him fiddling with his waterproof jacket, unaware of my presence as yet.

I closed my eyes as the feeling of dread filled my entire body. What the heck was he doing here? He lived 5,000 miles away in LA for crying out loud.

I reminded myself that I did too, but swashed that from my mind. We lived in the same city and didn't bump into each other for two years and yet here he was, ruining my trip before I'd even started it! There was no way I could avoid him out here and how in the hell was I going to play team building exercises when all I wanted to do was push him in the river?

I opened my eyes and I found his eyes on me. Their deep, blue depths were staring right into my own eyes as I twitched my mouth and took a breath through my nose silently, wondering what he was thinking and if it mirrored my own thoughts.

"Good morning everybody and welcome to 'Country Challenge!'" Dom called, breaking our gazes as we both faced him to listen. "I have all of your tents here, it's two people to a tent and I will read out the names in just one moment. You need to take it in turns to carry the kit you need for the trip and we have some safety instructions to run through so please be patient with me while we get you oragnised" Dom said and continued to talk about what to do in an emergency and other details that I hoped to god I was absorbing by osmosis because all my mind was screaming was he's here! He's fucking here and there's nowhere to hide!

"Jennie…" Dom said my name and I raised my eyes to signal I had heard him. Considering I hadn't heard much else of what he said it was probably good that he had said my name. "You're sharing with Zac ." He said

My face dropped. Weren't we sharing with same-sex partners?

"Do I have to share with him?" I asked tersely, feeling Zac's eyes on me the whole time.

"Hey, what's wrong with me?" He asked with a puzzled little look, kind of like he thought I was joking and I realized very swiftly that he didn't recognize me.

Then what the fuck had he been staring at when I came over to the group? Did I look that bad without make up?

"You're…you." I said unhelpfully and he looked even more confused

"You don't even know me." He said gently as he squinted his eyes and I was distracted by his dark lashes against the blue of his eyes.

"I don't want to." I said cruelly

He stared at me in disbelief, along with a few others who had heard my comment.

"Have we met before? Is there any particular reason you feel this way? Just so I know," he added, a little peeved.

I curled my lip as my brow raised. "I can't believe you don't remember." I shook my head as I placed my hands on my curvy hips.

His cheekbones were still sharp, his jaw line even more so and he still had those thick, bushy brows that disappeared into his shaggy brown fringe with his expressionistic face-pulling.

His eyes still shone their sea-sky-blue from under those dark, curly lashes and his hair was now a little too long but still soft-looking and touchable.

"I guess now that you're a big-shot actor, you forgot all about us normal people." I barbed. "Dom, why am I paired with a guy?" I asked gently as I moved from Zac's earshot

"I'm sorry, Jennie, but there's an odd number each side and you're the youngest so we kind of thought you wouldn't mind sharing. Do you want to share with Luke and I'll go in with Zac?" He offered

I looked to Luke. Luke who had eyed me up like a sex-starved teenager on the bus. Luke who had bored me silly for a good fifteen minutes on the ride over. Luke who licked his lips when I even showed a sign of flashing some boob even thought I had them safely wrapped up in a jumper.

I sighed. Jesus. At least I was safe with Zac, I mused.

"No, it's okay. Thank you, though." I smiled with appreciation as I grabbed my rucksack and the tent bag and headed off toward the hill, where other designated couples were heading.

I didn't have much choice but to share with him. The thought left a nasty taste in my mouth but I just had to suck it up.

I was going to be sharing a tent with Zac Efron. The boy who broke my best friend's heart.


	2. Remember Me

**Hey all.**

**Yes I should prob have explained this is a Zac/OC story and the friend is unknown, too. No Vanessa.**

**So there it is lol.**

**If there's not much response I won't keep posting but if you like it, I'll keep going.**

**Thanks for the reviews!**

**CHAPTER 2**

I lifted the tent bag onto my shoulder, trying to find anything to distract me from the fact that I was going to be spending the next two weeks in close proximity to Zac.

I was quite shocked that no-one in our little group had recognized him yet. I wondered whether he was as well-known in England as he was back home but obviously not judging by people's seeming ignorance of him.

It seemed only I had been lucky enough to have first hand experience of the well-known actor and it wasn't the greatest experience considering the unfortunate circumstances I now found myself in.

Panting, out of breath, I threw the tent bag onto the ground in frustration and emptied the contents after throwing my rucksack down too, joining the rest of the group who all looked at me strangely.

"Hmm-hmm" someone coughed from behind me and I turned to find Zac there, kind of looking nervous with his hands jammed in his jacket pockets and hiding behind his fringe which was tipping into his eyes.

I stared at him for a good five seconds, then squinted my eyes and blinked, looking away as I began to lay out the metal rods for the tent, just like all the other couples were doing.

"Look, I'm sorry I don't know you." He said shyly as he tried to help with the tent poles and I ripped one from his hand with a warning glare. "But you might want to tell me, seeing as we have to sleep together." He added sheepishly, blushing at the vehemence I used in snatching of the pole from him.

"Share a tent." I amended quickly. "Don't you dare tell anyone we slept together" I added.

"Look, what is your problem?" He asked me directly and his hurt shocked me. He never raised his voice to anyone. Or he never had while he was dating Tam at least.

"My problem is you. My problem is that you were once so in love with my best friend that you couldn't be apart, then as soon as a big film deal came along you dropped her like a ton of bricks. My problem is that you left me to pick up the pieces of her broken heart- which was smashed to smithereens by the way- without a backward glance. My problem is that two years ago, you would have known me without even having to think about it and now you look at me like I'm a stranger." I ranted, throwing down the pole and starting on another one as Zac stood slightly behind me, rubbing his face as it all slowly dawned on him.

"Jennie." He said softly.

The huskiness of his voice shivered a curl through my tummy and it reminded me what those millions of teenage girls saw in him. Only I wasn't one of them and I knew better than to be taken in by that charm.

"Oh blimey, you remembered then? Drugs didn't completely wipe your memory?" I checked, slicingly.

He frowned, his lips pressing together. "I recognized you up there," he pointed behind his with his finger, even though it was down hill from where we stood now. "I just didn't know how. You've changed." He defended himself as his brows drew closer together.

I stared at him a bit longer. By Christ that was an understatement. The last time he had seen me, I was blonde and skinny and trying to make a go of it as model but things hadn't worked out so I had changed my appearance, going back to my brunette roots and eating a proper meal instead of salads, putting on a healthy eighteen pounds that suited me.

"I know." I said.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!!" Dom called as he practically ran up the hill. "Don't put the tents out yet!" He shouted. "We're walking a few miles before we hit first camp," he smiled.

I sighed and collected up the rods again, letting Zac hand me one and he looked at me under his lashes from where he stood after bending to collect it.

"I'm sorry." He said simply, but I didn't know what he was sorry for. For being a total prick to my best friend? For being a total prick full stop? Whatever it was, it wasn't enough for me. But I had to make good of this situation or at least the best I could so I took the rod and placed it in the tent bag, lifting it up. Zac tried to take it from me but I quickly swung it onto my shoulder, glaring at him in a challenge.

"Sure, okay." He shrugged as he sighed and I felt kind of bad for a small moment. What if he wanted the same? What if he had come here to get away from LaLa Land and the craziness of his fame and have a little peace before his familiarity became too much?

I took myself back to the night he callously dumped Tam in favour of his career and I shut off my feelings of sympathy.

He deserved to be punished and who better to deal it then the best friend of a woman scorned?

---

Due to Tam and Zac being practically inseparable until we left college, I had got to know him pretty well. He was kind of like a brother to me and for a time, I had enjoyed his protectiveness over who I was dating and our ability to be completely silly with one another.

He and Tam had that special something but we were like two kids together and she had understood our bond.

I couldn't lie, I had missed him. As I studied his profile, we walked along in silence as the other couples around us bonded and I saw the far-away look in his eye and it reminded me of the day he told me he was finding his new-found fame a bit too much.

It was hard to believe he had dated my friend for three years before making it big, but that was the Zac I knew. The guy who was going for constant auditions, taking bit parts and whatever roles he could find.

But suddenly things changed as he landed a role in a huge movie and it seemed like Tam was the first thing to go in his new life and I will never forget the day she came home from meeting him, knowing that things were over.

I think I was kidding myself when I thought sharing with him was better than sharing with Luke.

---

Zac watched Jennie walk off with the group, striking up friendly conversation with Joan, a lady he had spoken to only briefly when she had asked him if she knew him because he looked awfully familiar.

He had smiled at her and said he gets told that all the time but they hadn't met before. Joan had nodded with a slightly confused look and they had chatted about the weather and other things until Dom had come up to organize them.

And now Jennie was chatting to her like they were best friends, reminding him that he was left out in the cold as far as their partnership went.

Of all the people to bump into in the middle of the British countryside, it had to be her. The only other person that would have been worse to see, would have been Tam herself, but he could still remember the blazing trail of insults Jennie had strung him when he had picked up the phone to Tam's name flashing, less than half an hour after they had split up.

Expecting to hear Tam on the other end, he had been a little taken aback at the loud profanities being screamed down the phone, but he soon realized it was Jennie and it made his gut turn with loathing as he remembered the names she called him.

At the time he had presumed she was just letting off steam, after all, they had been friends too and he had kind of hoped against all hope they might salvage that. But it was now obvious that Tam hadn't told her the reason for their split. He didn't know what she had told her, but it didn't seem like it was good from her attitude. He had never known Jennie to be so hostile to anyone.

Well actually he had, he smirked, when a guy once tried to grope her ass, she had practically turned him into a pile of ash with her blasting tirade, but other than that, he wouldn't expect it of her.

If she didn't know the story, then he wasn't going to tell her, it was up to her if she had written him off as a heartless, fame hungry guy who only wanted a career and nothing else. He kind of thought she knew him better than that but that's what made him wonder exactly what Tam had said about him.

He frowned as he considered the possibilities and he looked out toward the horizon and soaked up the views, spotting the forest down the hill where they would be trekking through to reach the panoramic views of the hill on the other side.

He couldn't believe his luck when Dom had announced them as partners. All he wanted was to escape the crazy lifestyle for a couple of weeks and run around the wild with a bunch of strangers and here he had ended up with his worst nightmare- Jennie on the warpath.

He wondered what it would be like sharing a tent with her. Would she try and stab him in his sleep? He wouldn't put it past her.

It was at the foot of the gentle hill that Dom stopped the group to set up camp and he watched as Jennie threw down the tent bag, pressing his lips together in annoyance that she hadn't let him carry the bag, instead being totally stubborn as if she had to prove something.

"Okay where do we start?" He asked, rubbing his hands together as he eyed the pieces keenly.

"What are you now? Action man?" She wondered drily, rolling her eyes and he felt his confidence slip another notch. He didn't like that she knew him well enough to know how to bring him down.

She knew how he had auditioned for eleven action films and been turned down from them all. The conversation they'd had about it had been the most honest he had been with anyone- even Tam. She knew his vulnerability that night and she still twisted the knife in as they stood here and stared at the puzzle in front of them.

---

I flicked a look to Zac and found his blue eyes sadly staring at the ground, his shoulders dipped in and his mouth tugged up in one corner in an expression of almost regret.

God why was I feeling bad about this? It was hardly my fault we ended up in this situation.

"Do you want me to share with Luke?" I asked as a way of offering an olive branch, at least for the immediate moment to wipe the sadness from his face. I might hate Zac for hurting my friend but he hadn't asked for this, either.

"How come you didn't?" He asked, his brows digging in the middle of his forehead where he frowned still.

I licked my lips and bit the upper one, unsure if I should share my thoughts.

"He was eyeing me up all the way here on the coach. I didn't fancy my chances in close proximity." I added

Zac actually smiled at me. His full whack, honest-to-god, real, breath taking smile. It had been a long time since I had seen it and I didn't know why now, after two years, it was making my tummy turn. He had never had this effect on me before.

Maybe it was his bulkier frame, his obvious muscles under his layers, the hint of stubble on his jaw or even that shaggy-wild hair that flipped in the light breeze.

Whatever it was, it was alien to me because I had never felt it before for him and I didn't want to.

He lifted a brow at me. "You thought he was gonna paw you while you slept?" He asked as he began to build the frame for the tent and we worked together to get the fabric over the frame, securing it with pegs.

I shrugged. "I didn't like the way he kept looking at me."

"So you chose me instead?" He checked in disbelief. "Even though you hate my guts?"

"At least I know you won't try anything on." I reasoned, knowing he had never had those kind of feelings for me either.

"Okay group! Let's play our first game!" Dom called as we stood appreciating our handiwork.

We gathered around while Dom explained the game to us and it was a basic trust game where we stood in a circle and our partners stood in front of us, facing inward and they had to fall backwards and we had to catch them.

I stared into Zac's back wondering if he deserved to be caught and if I really wanted his trust anyway. Its not like it would make any difference, we still had to suffer this trip with the past hanging over us like a hanging wet blanket.


	3. Trust

**Thanks for the comments everyone, glad you like it even though it's not the 'norm'.**

**I haven't really specified his films in this because the ages I have quoted don't exactly match up so it's just fictional.**

**I do have one Troyella long story to post after this that is complete and two one shots also.**

**CHAPTER 3**

Zac stood with his back to Jennie and closed his eyes, pursing his lips as he looked over his shoulder to her, knowing she wasn't going to catch him. He squinted at her and she shrugged in a kind of 'What?' manner but he faced frontwards again and as Dom went around the group, people were falling backwards and being caught by their partners unless their partners dropped them accidentally because they were too heavy, which resulted in some giggling around the camp.

It came to Zac's turn and he took a breath and sailed backwards, flailing his arms as he found no support for him and he landed on the ground painfully, clutching his elbow which had impacted the had ground first.

"Ouch, fuck!" He swore.

"Oops sorry." Jennie shrugged sweetly, blushing becomingly to assist her innocent-girl act.

"Jennie, you didn't even try!" Dom laughed gently. "How is Zac ever going to trust you if you don't try?" He asked.

"I don't know, Dom. Perhaps trust is something that has to be earned." She replied blandly and it was becoming clear to the others that these two had history.

"Zac, are you ok?" Dom asked as he helped him up and Zac rubbed his elbow, then his shoulder, wincing.

"Oh fuck!" He swore again loudly and Jennie looked on wide-eyed.

"What is it?" Dom asked with concern.

Zac leaned forward, taking some deep breaths as he massaged the joint. Oh shit. His shoulder. His dislocated shoulder that he did that time during a strenuous dancing scene and Jennie had taken him to hospital when he'd re-injured it falling off his skateboard.

"It's his shoulder" He heard her say gently and she moved forward, knowing exactly what she had to do to ease the pain because the doctor had showed her and she placed her hands there, massaging it as she had been shown all those months ago and it surprised him that she was so adept at the easing massage still.

"Oh, shit." He swore again he knew the pain would ease soon but god it hurt like hell right now.

"Oh, that's it." He said tightly as she moved her fingers a notch and finally, finally the pain eased as he rose, his lashes damp with his tears. He blushed as he realized everyone was watching him and he looked at Jennie stood before him; her face sorrowful and extremely afraid.

"I had no idea…" She began with a whisper and Dom placed a hand on her shoulder.

"The importance of trust," he said sagely. "Out here, can mean the difference between life and death"

Jennie nodded; catching Zac's pained blue eyes and silently apologizing.

"Okay teams, let's swap!" Dom called. "Zac are you okay to continue?" He checked as he rolled his arm and tested his shoulder.

Zac nodded tersely and he looked to Jennie who was suitably sheepish.

She took a sigh as she leant backward at her signal and Zac wound his arms around her middle tightly, pushing her back up to her feet and she turned to him, her brown eyes wide and questioning him.

"What?" He asked, his lips pouting a little in his nervousness.

"Nothing. I just…" She began confusedly and he wondered if she was trying to apologise.

---

"Okay people, camp fire!" Dom called and brought me from my attempt to apologise to Zac for causing him injury. Instead I looked into his soulful gaze and pressed my lips together as we joined the hunt for dry wood and built up the fire, finally settling down to cook up a feast for the group with help from a gas burner that Dom and Luke had brought.

Some of the guys had also dug out a toilet hole in the bush and I had been putting off going for the fear of being caught by some wildlife I wasn't expecting.

"I'm going to the loo." I said bravely, hoping one of the ladies would come with me, but no-one offered, they were all busy cooking.

"Take a friend when it's dark." Dom suggested.

"Want me to go with you?" Luke piped up.

Oh for fucks sake. Couldn't ANYONE else have offered?

"I'll take her." Zac said gently, dropping his wooden load by the fire and swiping the dirt off his gloves as he removed them. I felt like a five year old being escorted to the toilet by my dad from the way he said it but I knew he was just saving me from a potential incident with Luke so I kind of had to put up with it.

"Thank you." I said and followed him as he flicked on his torch and led the way. It got dark so quickly, I could barely see in front of me, only to see the fabric of Zac's jacket and the faint light of the torch in front of him.

I stumbled as my ankle turned on some rocky ground and let out a soft 'eep' as I grabbed for a branch to steady myself and missed it, pitching sideways onto the ground.

"Oh bollocks." I swore softly, dissolving into giggles at my clumsiness.

Zac stopped and pointed the light right in my face "What ARE you doing?" He asked, holding out his hand which I took to get up, testing my ankle.

"I'm falling over, don't you know anything?" I returned lightly, still smiling at my accident.

"Are you ok?" He asked, though it was more of a standard question than one of concern

"I'm fine." I said and he still hadn't let my hand go as he continued through the bush and I held onto him as we finally made it to the toilet.

"Wow that's a trek!" I commented and I lifted the corner of my mouth and looked at the rudimentary provisions for the toilet.

"Well here we are…" He led

"Umm, can you…give me a minute? Like…maybe walk away for a second?" I asked shyly, not wanting him to hear me pee.

"Sure." He shrugged tiredly; wandering away and rubbing his shoulder unconciously, making me swallow with regret and chew my lip.

While I used the loo I thought about Tam and how she would feel knowing I was here. Tam and I were like sisters. I'd never had a friend like her and I never would. We were heartbroken at going two weeks without speaking but she understood why I had to do this.

But I'm not sure how she would feel knowing I was talking to Zac. I reasoned with myself that I couldn't NOT talk to him; the circumstances meant there wasn't much choice there. And I had already injured him, which would make her smile. I knew that after two years, she didn't still hold any feelings for him, but when he popped up in a magazine or on TV, she still had that look, like she curled her lip in disgust jokingly.

I ventured from the toilet and called out for Zac. It was pitch black and I couldn't see him.

"Zac?" I called again, stepping out into the open area now and taking a breath which I heard loudly against the quiet backdrop. There weren't many animal noises and this panicked me too.

What if everyone had gone and left me here?

"Zac!" I called loudly and jumped a fit as someone touched my shoulder and I turned to find Luke there and I frowned. "How did you get out here?" I wondered "Where's Zac?" I asked.

"I saw you watching me on the coach," he said and I stared. What the fuck was this?

"I'm going back to camp." I said as I shivered against the innuendo in his voice and crossed my arms over my breasts.

"You are really beautiful." Luke said and I turned, shocked.

"What?" he asked.

"You're meant to be in charge here, I don't think that appropriate." I said honestly.

"Hey, I'm not in charge, that's Dom's job." He shrugged and I felt fear in the pit of my stomach. Good god, that meant he had come out here after me, knowing Zac was with me, still to try his luck!

Where in the fuck was Zac anyway? I fumed as I stomped toward camp, feeling a hand go around my wrist and I turned quickly to slap the attacker, thinking it was Luke and I saw Zac's blue eyes flash in the dark so I expelled my breath quickly, my fear whooshing out with it.

"Hey, where were you?" he asked in concern, but he was annoyed, too.

"I came out and I couldn't find you and I called, I called three times and you weren't there and then Luke was there and he grabbed my shoulder and I thought it was you and it wasn't and…" I rushed my words out, my panic taking over and Zac's eyes flicked over my face as his brows rose gently as he watched me, but he stopped my flow

"Luke was there?" he questioned and I nodded, biting my lip, actually quite afraid now and I just wanted to get back to camp.

"I'm sorry, I wandered into the bush. I got a bit lost…" he said sheepishly and it was my fault again, for telling him to leave me so I could pee without him hearing.

I nodded. "Can we just go back please, I just want to go back." I said and he nodded, searching my face for my confirmation I was ok but I didn't give it. I wasn't okay and I didn't like the thought of Luke creeping around while I was taking a piss.

I don't know why I did it, maybe because Zac had started it on the way in, but I lay my palm into his and gripped gently, feeling him gripping back as we held hands and I was actually grateful he was here.

I would never have held hands with a stranger and they would never have taken me seriously about Luke.

---

The tent was small but gave us enough room to change into our night gear if we were careful.

"You better not be peeking." I warned as I undressed and flung on my pajama's as quickly as possible.

I heard a sigh. "I have my back to you, Jennie," he reminded me.

"Fine, I'm just saying." I added defensively as I lay down and zipped myself into my sleeping bag.

Zac lay in his bag and did the same, but he was only wearing his boxers and a snuggly-looking top. The faint light of our lamp was casting out as we lay on our backs looking at the ceiling of the tent.

"Goodnight, I guess" He said gently, leaning across to turn out the light.

"I swear to god, you come near me in the night and I'll punch you in the face." I said and turned to face away from him.

"That's good to know, thanks for the note" He replied drily and I almost laughed at him, almost, but I kept my giggle inside and pushed it down into my chest.


	4. Creepy Crawly

**CHAPTER 4**

"Aaaaeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!" Came an ear splitting screech and Zac fought with the noise, flinging his arms over his face as he awoke rudely to the noise coming from the sleeping bag next to him.

"It's crawliiiiiiing on me eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!" Jennie screamed as he sat up and looked over to her, leaning on his arm.

She was thrashing at her face and there was indeed, something crawling on her. He reached over and picked off the insect calmly, looking at the stag beetle with a little sleepy grin.

"Hey buddy." He greeted.

"Oh my fucking god!" She swore, her hair all over her face. "Trust you to be friends with something that crawled from under a rock," she murmured and he flicked his eyes to her, lifting the insect back toward her where she crossed her arms and screamed again, making him chuckle.

"Okay, okay I take it back!" She offered hastily and he crawled from his cocoon to unzip the tent flap and fling the bug out.

"Super bug!" He called as the creature flew across the campsite toward the dwindling fire.

Jennie sat up in bed and looked at him in disbelief, but he could tell she was trying not to laugh.

They had at one point, only had to look at each other to start a batch of their infectious giggling and Tam was about the only one who understood; which surprised everyone, but he remembered those times and he missed them. Looking at her now, he wondered if she had missed him at all, or if whatever Tam had said had effectively put their friendship and fun times on the bonfire of old memories, never to be revived again.

He pursed his lips as he tried not to smile at her bed hair and he watched as her eyes flicked to his lips then back to his eyes.

"You're laughing at me." She guessed astutely

He merely lay back on top of his sleeping bag and smiled into thin air. He didn't actually feel much like laughing at her, he had kind of felt like kissing her, but the thought of kissing her was so amusing he had to smile at his deranged mind.

All the time he had been with Tam, he had never been attracted to Jennie. Granted she was blonde and skinny back then and now she was a voluptuous brunette, but still, it would have been like kissing his sister.

"I'm not. I'm laughing because…" He groped for the right words. "Okay, I'm laughing at you. You have to admit, it was kinda funny." He turned his head as he rested his hands underneath to prop him up.

Jennie scowled at him. "Mmm. If you say so." She sat up and fought with her mane, finally gripping it into a ponytail.

"I'm going to the toilet." She announced as she collected her bathroom bag which contained deodorant wipes and other essentials until they made it to the next lodge which would have showers and possibly dorms.

"I'm coming with you." Zac said, quickly shoving his walking trousers on.

"Uh-uh." Jennie said and shook her head.

"I'm not letting you out there alone, Jennie, not after last night." He argued.

"Look Zac, the big brother act is really sweet, but I am old enough to look after myself. Besides, its daylight, he comes near me and I'm kickboxing his butt down." She said decidedly, struggling to get dressed under the cover of her sleeping bag so she gave up and got out in her pajama's.

Zac caught a glimpse of the curves hiding under her layer of clothes and he felt his mouth go dry at the sight, wondering why she was evoking this reaction in him.

She was a female and she was attractive, that he couldn't deny. In fact he had been entranced by her as he had watched her join the group and wondered where he knew her from.

But there was something kind of sick about finding his ex's best friend attractive. Wasn't there? Maybe their close living quarters were playing tricks with his mind he decided as he watched her crawl from the tent.

--

I climbed from the tent and was immediately faced with the most beautiful sunrise I had seen in my life. We were at the bottom of the hill but the view was still breathtaking, the sun poking through the wisps of fog that were hanging low on the green lush mound behind us.

I took a breath and really let my body feel the effects of the air, my blood whooshing round happily and an excitement filling me as I headed for the toilet.

By the time I came back, the camp was stirring and everyone was huddled round waiting for coffee so I offered to help out and I ended up pouring cereals and making teas with a busy rush as people lined up for their food and drinks.

"No bacon sandwiches?" Zac asked with a cute smile as I flicked my eyes up and my breath was stolen by the sight of him. His hair was indescribably sexy as his fringe swept crazily across his head, the rest of his hair just kind of sticking out at all angles, almost begging to be tamed, and his eyes were soft and baby-like with sleepiness, the blues of them so huge. I watched as his lips curled and I felt that strange feeling bubble through my gut again- kind of like attraction only I knew I couldn't be attracted to him because he had hurt my best friend so badly and I couldn't really ever forgive him for that.

"Sorry, just cereal." I quipped and held up the choice of granola and co-co pops.

He twitched his lips and I watched them intently, their fullness mesmirising me and I was shocked again.

"Are you wearing lip gloss?" Zac asked as he squinted his eyes and

stared at my lips.

"Yeah, why?" I answered cagily.

"We're on a hill trek." He said flatly.

"So, I can't wear make up while I trek?" I shot back, knowing I was make

up free apart from my lips.

"You left the rest of your face bare." He said knowingly and I flicked my

eyes to him, wondering what he was going to say.

"And?" I asked tersely.

"I'm just saying, your mouth stands out. You wanna watch Luke with that

stuff on," he warned and I smiled fakely and shoved a mug in his hand,

packing him off for breakfast while I made up lunch boxes for the team.

"Here," a gentle voice said in my ear, a hand touching my shoulder and I gasped,

spinning round, sighing with relief when I found Zac there.

"Don't do that to me!" I accused.

"Why? Who did you think I was?" He asked innocently.

I looked to the bowl of co-co pops and back into his blue eyes which were more alert now.

"Thank you." I said and took the bowl, trailing away to sit and eat them, taking a banana as well and sitting with the group while Zac replaced my duties with the lunchboxes.

"Hi." I smiled shyly at Joan and she patted my arm.

"Hello, love. Handsome man you have there." She smiled as she lifted her head toward Zac.

"Oh, he's not…" I began awkwardly.

"It's okay, sweetie. He told us you had a fight. That's why you were so angry yesterday." The other lady, Margaret said knowingly.

"He said that?" I asked, surprised, my Americanisms coming out.

"Yes, he told us all about it." Joan patted my knee now.

"All?" I wondered quickly with a certain degree of nervousness.

"Mmm-mmm. He told us how he had let you down and you were punishing him, that's why you dropped him in that game." Marg continued.

Wow Zac had said all that? And he had said all that to cover my ass, because it was obvious people were wondering why I had behaved the way I had.

"But he did tell you we're not…" I led, to make sure they didn't have the wrong idea. Because even if there was only a slight possibility that one of these people recognised him and sold his story, I didn't want to be linked with him in any way. That would just be too complicated to deal with. And on top of everything else, I didn't really need that right now.

"Together?" Joan suggested. "Yes, dear, he made that bit _perfectly_ obvious." She assured me with a chuckle as I scooped up my cereal and chewed on it thoughtfully, wondering why Zac had gone to all that effort for me when I had completely disrespected him.

"Okay ladies, ready to go?" I checked with a smile as I got up to clear up the washing up and found the guys had done most of it.

The next part of the climb was more challenging. One of the troupe, Nick, had taken to walking with me and Zac had been tagged by Joan, who obviously had taken a bit of a shine to him and every time we came to a challenging piece of ground, Nick held out his hand which I was finding hard to ignore as I tackled the ground alone. I didn't want help; I wanted to do this alone, that was why I had come out here. To prove I could do this on my own.

I couldn't do a lot else on my own. I'd lost my job, I didn't have a love life and I couldn't face failing this physical challenge.

I swiped the tears from my eyes as I fought the racks overtaking my body.

"Hey, are you okay?" Nick asked and went to touch me.

"Don't touch me!" I said quickly, flinging my arm out to rebuff him and Joan came rushing over with Zac.

"Honey, are you okay, what did he say?" She wondered.

"Nothing, it's not him." I bawled and resisted the older lady's embrace, feeling Zac's eyes on my back before he laid his hand there gently and Joan turned me toward him.

"Let him hold you, sweetie," she said. "It's better to have a familiar hug than a stranger giving one." She assured me.

I turned and sniffled as his hand rubbed my shoulder and he looked unsure, like he wasn't sure if I was going to kick him in the balls if he let me that close to him.

He stepped closer, his hand travelling round my back as he raised his other arm and enveloped me gently against his body and the feeling was alien to me. It had been so long since I had let anyone hold me and even now, it didn't feel right. It didn't feel right and it's not because it was Zac who was holding me; it was because I hadn't let anyone touch me in so long that I couldn't remember trusting anyone like this.

His large hands rubbing my back were so soothing and he was murmuring something in my ear and 'shh' ing gently as I curled into his chest; the strength of his body irresistible. I could feel his voice vibrating through his chest and it started a tingling deep within me.

"Hey is everything alright back here?" Dom asked as the rest of the group got further ahead and we stood still.

I dipped my head shyly into Zac's chest as he cuddled me to him and stroked my hair briefly.

"We're just coming, dude. You go on ahead." He assured and Dom must have left because Zac pulled back to look at me.

"What happened, Jennie?" He asked, cocking his head

I pursed my lips "You know what? It's a very long story." I mused, thinking where do I start?

"Is it to do with your brother?" He asked and my head snapped up quickly. Shit! He knew about that, how could I have forgotten? Damn.

"Not entirely." I answered vaguely. "I just don't like people touching me." I added.

"I'm sorry, I thought…"He said quickly.

"Not you." I rolled my eyes a little.

"Oh." he frowned .

"I know you." I added before he got the wrong idea.

"Okay, are you ready to go?" He checked and I nodded as we started up the hill again.

He held out his hand for me, just like he had last night and I looked into his honest eyes before I took it and accepted his help up the hill, joining the rest of the group who were enjoying a coffee break a few yards on.

We joined them and I blushed as Joan smiled at us, holding hands.

I dropped Zac's hand quickly and went over to her, briefly hugging her.

"Thank you." I said softly.

"That's okay, dear. You're like the daughter I never had." She beamed. "Had me one of them," she pointed to Zac who was chatting with Dom and I nodded.

"Boys are trouble." I stated confidently

Joan laughed "You know only too well my dear." She agreed.

"I wonder where we're camping tonight?" I said as we gathered up the kit again and carried on the trek, this time Zac and I hovering near each other as we talked to Joan and Marg as we walked.

--


	5. Not Ok

**Thanks for the reviews! Love them 3 I've been really ill so you're cheering me up.**

**CHAPTER 5**

I couldn't keep the memories back as I lay in my sleeping bag and let the thoughts wash over me.

Zac had been around when my brother had been arrested for possession of a firearm. We had moved to America as a family when I was ten and Jay was eight but it wasn't until I went to high school that I had met Tam. She had started dating Zac in our last year and the three of us had pretty much hung out, leaving Jay to his own group of friends which was part of a gang that I didn't know anything about.

For the most part, my parents had tried to control his increasingly wayward behaviour: his disappearing until the late hours of the night, his disheveled appearance; but then they had returned to England, leaving me pretty much fully handed with him as he turned sixteen and left school.

After my brief modeling career on leaving school, I had managed to find work at a record company, booking acts and arranging studio slots and such the like. That is until Jay had got deeper and deeper into gang culture, culminating in his arrest.

Just as Tam and Zac had split, Zac and I had been sharing more and more and the night he told me about his fears for his privacy with the press, I told him about my fears for my safety.

Jay's gang had promised to protect me, but the rival gang they had fallen in with had been hanging around the apartment looking for Jay and the night that had changed everything was one I didn't want to remember, but it sat in the back of my mind like a fearful secret that I couldn't acknowledge but I couldn't erase either.

Coming here was meant to help me forget it all, remember who I was and decide what to do with my life. Should I leave LA and escape the gang and leave my brother to rot in prison?

I wish he had never got involved in all this and then I wouldn't have been dragged in too. The tears fell hotly on my face as I cried for what I had lost because of him and how much he and the gang didn't know. If they knew, all hell would break loose and I just couldn't deal with that.

"Hey are you okay?" Zac asked softly in the dark, obviously hearing my sobs.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." I said quickly, wiping my eyes and blowing my nose. "I'm fine."

Zac touched my arm and I curled away from him, hiding my face.

"You're obviously not okay, you were crying this morning, too." He said and I had a strong feeling of nostalgia as I remembered his kindness before whenever me or Tam would get upset, like girls do.

Only this time he couldn't heal the pain, it was too raw and too lasting and I couldn't even talk about it because the memory was too much for me to bear, let alone re-live.

"I'm ok." I said again, despite the lashings of tears still gushing down my face.

"Jennie…" He said softly and I knew that tone. It was one that said 'I'm not going away until you talk to me'. One that said 'I am here for you' and I didn't know if I wanted him to be, I just didn't want to talk to anyone about it right now.

I turned and flopped over onto my back, looking up into his concerned eyes. I licked my lips and rubbed them together as I thought about what to say.

I swallowed and a tear escaped down my face as I thought how I couldn't even talk to anyone about the night a member of the rival gang had besieged my apartment, let alone begin to explain it to Zac.

"I know this is hard for you to understand, but I really cant talk about it at the moment." I said with a raw throat, watching his eyes squint at me as he leaned up on his arm and tried to look into my face where I lay next to him.

I turned over and mirrored his pose "Will you trust me to tell you when I am ready?" I asked.

He twisted his lips and their fullness distracted me from the rest of his face as I traced the crease at the top of his lip and flicked my eyes over his stubbled jaw.

"I guess so." He offered and I smiled sheepishly, my mouth tugging up in one corner.

"I know I haven't given you much reason to so far." I added "But this is something that I can't talk about yet."

"Okay." He nodded and lay back down, still facing me and waiting for me to do the same before he relaxed onto his back.

"Jennie?" he said into the twilight of the tent.

"Mmm?"

"I'm sorry that I ruined your holiday. I know you're loyal to Tam and this must be a nightmare for you," he said astutely, making my ribs ache with his sincerity.

"It was a shock, that's all." I said gently, not knowing quite what else to say. "I expect you feel the same." I allowed. "Goodnight, Zac" I said into a sigh as I fell asleep.

--

The morning dawned damp and misty and I busied myself with breakfast duties while I tried to work out how things would be with Zac today.

I had an increasing urge to put up my guard and not let Zac into my heart any further because every time he held me or asked me if I was okay, I could feel myself dropping further and further into his blue eyes.

It was an effort to keep reminding myself that he had hurt my best friend and that he didn't deserve my friendship because every time he smiled at me or flicked me one of his tummy-curdling looks, I went back to square one with fighting my attraction.

The trek began slowly and I mingled with Joan and Marg as Zac hovered behind us with some of the guys and I found myself looking back on him and wondering how he was doing.

Yesterday had been one emotional day for both of us and I was worried about him. There was so much that had happened in the last two years that I didn't know about that made me curious and I wondered how he had changed.

Zac caught me looking at him and he lifted his chin as if to ask 'you ok?' and I realized he hadn't changed all that much. He was still worrying about other people more than himself.

I dropped back and smiled at him as I joined him and the two guys he'd been walking with.

"Hey." I said gently

"Hey." He said back "This is Andy and Bryn," he introduced me.

"Hi, I'm Jennie." I smiled at them and they nodded.

"So, Zac was telling us that you have known each other a while?" Bryn asked and I flashed Zac a look.

"Yeah, we went to high school together." I explained briefly.

"What is it you do now, Jennie?" Andy asked me and I swallowed heavily.

"I just lost my job actually" I said honestly, blushing as Zac's head snapped round to me.

"Oh that's a shame. What work do you do?" Andy asked of me .

"I was a booker for a record company." I said gently. "I don't really have a talent as such, I kind of fell into it because I love music." I babbled nervously

"Wow, I remember you wanting to be a model." Zac commented and I widened my eyes at him as the two guys stared at me.

"Well, I don't know if you noticed, but I'm a little on the heavy side to be a model." I said tersely. The record company job was going so well until I let the memories of that night eat me up.

I had taken so much time off with depression, they eventually sacked me and now I was facing going home jobless. I had managed to move apartments, but the constant fear of being found was in the back of my mind.

I waited until Zac was alone before I asked him about his career.

"What are you telling them when they ask about your job?" I wondered.

"That I'm a bit-part actor trying to get my big break." He grinned and he looked like a little boy.

I laughed at that. "Wow, that's…inventive," I ventured. "So what's it been like?"

He sighed. "It's been crazy! Crazy, good. But the paps, geez they really just stalk me out you know? I had to get away from it all. I just had to disappear."

"I know the feeling." I mused. "I saw your movies." I added as I stared at the ground.

"You did?" He asked with surprise and I nodded.

"And?" He asked nervously.

"Do you really care what I think?" I said flippantly.

"Sure…" He said. "I remember you always being bitingly honest." He added with a flick of his brow and I hid a smile.

I always used to take the mickey out of him for his film roles. It had been one of our common interests, ribbing each other silly.

"You were great in them." I assured him. "I loved your last one, actually. Mostly because I'm a fan of Brad Pitt." I lied.

"You're not a fan of Brad Pitt." He called me on it with a smile.

"Ok, I lied." I shrugged.

"Thanks." He said then, stopping short of saying anything else.

"For?" I asked.

"Supporting me. Even if I didn't know about it." He offered.

"Well you know, someone had to watch your crappy movies or you wouldn't be as popular huh?" I joked as I shunted him gently in the arm and he chuckled as we walked on, chatting more easily now that we had broken the ice.

---

Once the tents were pitched, the firewood collected, the toilet dug; everyone was free to mingle until dinner duties started and I found myself wandering off down the hill a little to watch the sun setting.

"Hey, pretty ladies shouldn't wander off alone." Luke said from behind me and I sighed. Jesus, was there no rest for the wicked?

"I'm ok, thank you." I said, not wanting to say 'I want to be alone' in case someone came to save me because then I would most certainly not want to be alone.

"You know, if I wasn't out here, I would have asked you out." He said directly and I was shocked once again at his blatancy.

"I already have a boyfriend." I lied. "But thank you for the compliment." I said firmly, not making eye contact with him and continuing to soak in the orange warmth of the sunset and the sweet, fresh air that tickled my ears.

"Who's your boyfriend?" He asked and I sighed, knowing he was going to ask me more questions if I answered this one.

"I am." Zac said flatly from behind us and I turned with a shocked look on my face. What in the fuck was he thinking?

"He's your boyfriend?" Luke asked incredulously from beside me.

"We had an argument and I haven't forgiven him yet." I lied, to fit the story he had told Joan. "But, yes, I suppose one might say we are dating." I finished haughtily.

Luke got up and grinned at Zac. "She is one hot piece of ass." He said as he passed him and Zac handed me a mug that he had carried over, looking behind him with a squint at Luke.

I looked into the mug with question in my eyes.

"Its hot chocolate, how you like it. With sugar and cream. Well that squirty cream, but we are out in the wilderness." He offered

He stood behind me with his hands jammed in his pockets awkwardly as I appreciated the view and he turned to go.

"Hey…"I called as he moved and he turned back. "Aren't you staying?" I asked lightly.

"You mean you're not sick of the sight of me?" He asked drily

"Zac, sit down." I commanded and he lifted his brows in surprise, ambling down next to me and catching his knees up under his arms, linking his fingers at his knees.

I leaned into him and he looked even more shocked.

"Do you know what this reminds me of?" I asked.

"Nope." Zac said huskily.

"When we graduated and you'd organized a romantic night for you and Tam but she refused to go without me and MY GOD did I try and get out of it but she wouldn't let me and YOUR FACE!" I giggled.

Zac shrugged and smiled at the memory "Well, I _was_ a little gutted…"

"And we drove up to the hill and watched the sunset and I was praying you wouldn't start making out." I giggled again.

Zac chuckled along with me. "We didn't though, did we?" he checked.

"No, you didn't," I said, sobering and leaning away. "I guess you forgot about all that" I said.

Zac sighed. "I didn't forget. Especially not because of my career." He said emphatically.

"You hurt her, Zac ." I said unnecessarily

"You know what?" He bit out, twisting his lips as he got up and looked down on me. "She hurt me more." he said mysteriously, looking like he was going to add more then changed his mind and walked away.


	6. Flashback

**CHAPTER 6**

"Don't you DARE presume you had it worse!" I spat as I came up behind him

"You don't know anything." Zac accused of me

"Oh sure I don't" I said sarcastically "I don't know that my best friend spent weeks crying over you. And had to put up with your face EVERYWHERE!" I shouted. "I don't know how I lost a great friend just like that." I clicked my fingers, my anger rising up in my chest and I couldn't control my pent up feelings any more. "I don't know how I lost someone who was like a brother to me when I needed it most!" I yelled, then I breathed heavily as I calmed.

'When I needed _you_ most' I added silently in my own mind.

Zac's blue eyes were huge as they met mine and I knew I had said that out loud.

The brotherly feelings I had previously had for him seemed to have been lost out to sea, just like me as I drowned in the pools of his eyes and a funny feeling crawled across my skin, bringing goose pimples with it and I felt my nipples harden, much to my embarrassment.

He seemed a little lost for what to say and I watched as he turned and walked away again, leaving me sighing out my remaining frustration.

The rest of the group seemed to be busy round the camp fire enjoying company and luckily they had been oblivious to our shouting. Either that or they were used to it, I mused.

I crawled into the tent to find Zac and he was laid on his side, wiping tears away as he realized I was coming in which made my heart jump into my throat.

"Are you okay?" I asked with concern

"Yeah, I'm fine" he lied

"I'm sorry if I upset you, bringing up the past" I added solemnly

"The thought of you needing me and me not being there to help you…it's kinda hard to deal with." He admitted and he was putting the pieces of my puzzle together and I didn't like it.

"There's a lot Tam hasn't told you" he added as he sat up "But it's not my place to say anything, so we should just draw a line under today and move on" he added quickly.

I sighed and I felt my chest tighten with the pain of everything that had happened; not only with Tam but with the gang and how much I had missed Zac and my shock at finding him here and being pushed together with him and now him pretending to be my boyfriend, it was a little too much for my already loaded mind.

"They're having a sing song by the fire…" I peeked at him under my lashes, knowing there was a lot remaining unsaid between us.

"I don't think it's a good idea I go out and sing-someone might recognize me" he said gently

"Zachary David Alexander Efron, that is the most pathetic excuse I have ever heard, now get off your butt and come with me" I commanded as I held out my hand toward him.

He smiled with one side of his mouth. "You never did let me wallow in self-pity" he quipped and something inside me clicked as his words. I couldn't explain it, it was like he had always been right here in front of me and never before had I been able to see him like this because he loved my friend.

Before we got to the fire, I stopped him. "Thanks for earlier, with Luke" I said nervously, meeting his gaze.

"You're welcome" he said down to me, my petite height causing a bit of a difference in our viewpoints.

"We're going to have to pretend we are a couple, you do know that" I added with an eyebrow flick.

"We're fighting remember? You hate me 'cos I'm an ass" he said it so willingly I had to laugh. I covered my mouth with my hand as I guffawed.

"What?" he smiled, chuckling at my reaction.

"Nothing. But seriously, thank you for that too, for taking the flak for my idiotic actions in the game and for covering for me" I said.

"Quit yabbering woman and lets go sing us some karaoke" he joked so I smiled and wrapped my fingers round his elbow which he tucked into his side as he pocketed his hands once more and we headed into the group as they sang merrily along to Nick's guitar playing.

The song ended and I got up "Nick!" I said as I picked my way across the circle of people "We have a great singer among us who is far too shy to sing his own praises- geddit? Sing his own praises?" I joked and everyone groaned "Zac !" I said as I came back toward him with the guitar.

He eyed me warily, silently lasering me with his intense eyes as he screwed up his lips. "Oh, I really couldn't, she's far too complimentary…" he faked.

Joan smiled "Go on, handsome, sing to an old lady" she begged and I smiled sweetly, nodding to Joan to say thanks for encouraging him.

He took a breath "I don't suppose I can so no to a beautiful lady…" he charmed like I knew he could as I watched Joan blush and giggle.

"And speaking of beautiful women, why don't we sing a duet, Jen? Seeing as you're so keen for me to play?" he said with an eyebrow lift that said he was going to get me back for landing him in the mire and he seemed keen to take me down with him.

"Oh god, I sound like a dying cat" I laughed, wondering if he had just called me beautiful.

"You have an amazing voice" Marg piped up "I heard you singing in the loo the other day"

I blushed. Oh god, she had heard that?

"Oh sure" I said through clenched teeth and glared at Zac who smiled innocently back at me.

"What song?" he wondered aloud.

"Islands in the stream!" Marg called

"Up where we belong" chipped in Nick.

Zac and I looked at each other worriedly. I didn't even know the words to half of these.

"Dirty dancing!" Dom suggested.

By Christ, did they think I was a singer? They were mistaken. I could just about hold a tune.

"A whole new world?" Zac murmured to me and I nodded begrudgingly as he began to strum.

"#I can show you the world, shimmering shining splendour, princess, tell me when did you last let your heart decide?..."

.

There was an eerie silence as we finished the song and I looked to Zac nervously. An applause broke out with some whoops and cheers for good measure and I smiled and blushed as the group continued to clap.

"You two are just made for each other" Joan winked at me and I shot a horrified look at Zac but he was smiling warmly back at Joan, cradling the guitar in his lap.

---

"That was fun!" Zac enthused as he headed back to the tent with Jen by his side and he waited for her to scoot into the tent first, appreciating her backside as she went.

He stripped off his outer layers and changed into his pajama's, lying down with a contented sigh.

"Tonight has been… interesting" he sighed gently and looked over to Jen who was curled up and facing him, her brown eyes tracing his face.

"It's been crazy huh?" she trailed off sleepily.

"Sleep well, Jen" he said gently and let his eyes close as he heard her soft breaths falling evenly, indicating her sleep.

---

It wasn't until the following day that we had another challenge set up for us. The hike up the hill was getting increasingly steep and the forest below increasingly distant. I wasn't sure how long it would be before we made it to the forest, where the log cabin was with warmth and shower units, but it seemed like a good couple of days still.

At the top of the hill, there was a steep drop down to the valley and once I had made it to the top, the panoramic views around me where breathtaking.

Dom and the team were setting up ropes for abseiling down the drop and I walked up to look down, seeing the vast distance we needed to travel to get to the bottom. I wasn't afraid of heights or anything like that, but I sure was afraid of falling.

"Ok team!" Dom called "This is a partner job and this is where trust comes in" he lifted his brows to me and I blushed.

I wasn't planning on dropping Zac down a steep cliff edge if that's what Dom thought. He explained the exercise to us and what we had to do and I hoped that I wouldn't mess up on this because we still had a week to go on this trek and I had to prove to Zac that he could trust me.

"So am I gonna end up scrambled?" a warm voice asked in my ear and I turned to see Zac there.

I smiled at him and felt my resolve weaken a little. He had made a good point last night, that I didn't really know what happened with him and Tam, only what she had told me. I was beginning to think that his fame hadn't gone to his head like she had told me and that their split was to do with something else.

I couldn't imagine him trekking around the wilderness if he was a jumped up star and I sure as hell couldn't see him comforting me if he didn't give a damn anymore.

I had a fleeting thought that maybe he had missed me as much as I had missed him.

"No, I'm gonna be really careful this time" I promised and cast my eyes down as I frowned "I'm sorry about before- about dropping you" I said awkwardly

"Hey, you know what, I probably deserved it. So are you going down first or am I?" he asked with a grin that I was returning without knowing it.

"You can, I'm scared crapless and I need someone to break my fall if I slip" I said and he nodded as he pressed his lips together in a smile.

"Okay, deal." He said and we went about getting hooked up in all the gear.

"Do I have to do this?" I asked as I struggled to buckle up Zac's harness and my hands were way to close to his crotch for my liking, not to mention I was getting flustered about it, too.

"Hey, I'm not that fat" he defended "Just pull it tight" he said and I gave the belt one more tug

"Ooh, not that tight…" he winced and I think I had caught something I shouldn't have because he looked a little sore for a moment.

"Oh, god, this is useless! I can't even do up the flipping harness!" I stormed unhappily, dropping my hands and blowing out a frustrated breath.

"Here…" Dom said and he moved over and adjusted Zac 's harness, clicking it into place.

Great, how did he make it look so easy? I wondered.

"Okay, I'm going down. You sure you don't want to go first?" he checked and I nodded, watching as he went on his front and climbed over the edge, leaning back on the rope as I used the pulley system to lower him, our ours meeting a couple of times as he sent me silent support.

"It's fine!" he called with encouragement to me "Easy peasy" he smiled and began to bounce down the drop at a quicker pace and I lost sight of him until he landed and I just about made him out below me, waving.

I climbed over the ledge and followed his actions, leaning back, walking down the wall of rock, breathing deeply.

My foot slipped on a ledge and I stopped for a moment in blind panic, an image flashing across my mind that I hadn't seen since my nightmares.

***

"Get inside the house" the man behind me demanded as he held a knife to my throat and my breath hitched in my lungs in fear. It was one of the gang who had been hanging around, only I thought Jay had told me he had me protected. He must have been wrong.

I nodded and unlocked my door, having no choice but to let this attacker into my home.

"Jay shouldn't have grassed us up and fucked Dean over, then I wouldn't have to do this" he snarled as he pushed me to the floor and I began to scream but he smacked me around the face, knocking me senseless for a moment while he tied a cloth around my mouth and pushed it in.

"You're gonna love every minute of this" he snarled as he pinned me to the floor and began to undress me and I fought the best I could with my hands and my legs but he was too strong for me and he kept slapping me until the only thing I saw was his evil eyes staring into my face as he lay over me and after that, my memory shut down and everything went black.

***


	7. Rescue

**Hi thanks to those of you still reviewing this story doesn't seem that popular so I will try and post as quick as poss to get back to Troyella stuff!**

**CHAPTER 7**

"Jen?" Zac called from below "Oh my god" he muttered "She's having a panic attack, can't we help her?" he worried quickly.

"Just calm down" Nick said, "We'll get someone to bring her down" he spoke into his walkie talkie to Dom and another assailant was sent down the face of the cliff toward Jennie while Zac threw a hand through his hair and panicked at what had caused her attack.

He had only seen it once before, just after her brother had been arrested and she had found one of the gang outside her apartment and he'd had to chase the guy off and after that, he had never seen her again. He wondered now if the gang her brother had been caught up with had caused her more trouble in the last two years and he silently punished himself for not being around to protect her.

Whatever happened with him and Tam, he could have tried harder to maintain contact with Jennie. At the time, it had just seemed too hard.

"Jen!" he called again and she seemed to lift her head around her as if she had heard him and her rescuer had reached her but she was fighting off their hands.

"God, what are they doing?" he mumbled "They shouldn't touch her"

"Jen!" he called a third time and she looked down toward him "Just walk down, baby, nice and slow" he encouraged and she took a breath, starting to move and he close his eyes in relief.

"That's it!" he yelled, his heart pounding so fast he felt it was going to pop out of his chest "Almost there! A few more steps" he called and took a breath as she came within a few feet of him and finally dropped to the ground in front of him and he didn't care who was watching or what she thought of him, he ran over and caught her up into a protective hug against his chest and clutched her head to his shoulder as she cried and placed her hands against his chest submissively.

"Ssh, its okay, you're down now, it's all over" he murmured against her hair as he held her tightly and he was shocked at his need to hold her and soothe her and he didn't like the way his thoughts were leading but he wanted to hold her like this for a long, long time until she didn't cry any more.

He stroked her hair and laid his chin on the top of her head as Nick came over.

"Is everything ok? Do you need a medic?" he asked.

Jennie lifted her head from Zac 's chest and sniffled "No, I'm ok, thank you. I'm so sorry, I just…" she began to cry again and Zac winced, stroking her hair once more as she leaned into him and he knew that something really bad had happened and it had nothing to do with the cliff face.

"Is she okay, Zac ?" Marg asked gently as he continued to hold Jennie and the rest of the group made their descent.

"I think so. Its just shock" he said gently.

Jennie looked up at him and he found himself lost in her brown eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Zac, I didn't mean to be a nuisance to you and Nick and make everyone worry…." She gasped for air like a fish out of water.

"Shhh" he said and stroked her face tenderly, then dropped his hand as her eyes questioned his.

"Thank you. Thank you so much for catching me and for…" she fought to find the right words, "…for being here" she finished.

"I'm always here, just remember that" he said firmly and Jennie frowned at him again, trying to make him out it would seem. "Let's get a hot drink huh?" he suggested and she nodded, taking his hand as he offered it and they went to join Marg and Joan.

--

"You gave us quite a fright" Joan said to Jennie as Zac watched her sip her drink, his hand still rubbing her shoulders gently as the four of them sat huddled on a tree trunk that had fallen at the bottom of the canyon.

"I know, I'm sorry" she apologized again and he wished she would quit apologizing.

"You should have said if you were scared of heights" Marg continued and Zac felt the urge to carry Jennie away from these people and protect her because he knew damn well she wasn't afraid of heights and he wanted to know what the hell the gang had done to her to make her freeze like that.

"Hey, it's all good now huh?" he asked gently and peered into Jennie's face the best he could seeing as she was crouched over, leaning on her knees and hiding her face.

"Hey, what happened, are you okay chick?" Luke asked , wandering over and reaching to touch Jennie but she recoiled from him and curled toward Zac who watched Luke with a steady stare.

"She just wants to be left alone" he explained and helped Jennie up, walking them both away from the main area as the group gathered the climbing kit to continue the trek.

"Jen, are you sure you're okay? I can ask for us to go back…" he hedged, really worried for her as she remained quiet and lifeless.

"No, it's okay. Going back won't change anything anyway." She explained.

"I wish you would talk to me" he begged.

"You trusted me, remember?" she said, her brown eyes almost accusing him and he wished he hadn't pushed her.

"Hey, I do, of course I do" he ran a hand through his hair "There's just two years of your life I know nothing about and seeing you again just reminds me how much…" he paused, not sure he should finish his sentence. He sighed "…how much I missed you" he finished.

"Me?" she questioned like this was the strangest thing she had heard "What about Tam?" she asked and this is where the knife turned in his gut, because he was holding his own story back and now was not the right time to tell it.

"Not so much, no" he answered honestly.

"How could you miss me when you are surrounded by millions of girls all screaming your name?" she asked in wonder and shock.

He squinted his eyes and rubbed his hands down her arms gently "You think a million screaming girls could ever make up for the honesty and friendship of one?" he asked.

Jennie stared at him, again trying to work out what lay between his words and he began to wonder himself.

Looking into her face now, all wide eyed and her soft lips parted, he could feel himself being drawn into kissing her. But that was the most ridiculous thing ever. Wasn't it?

"I missed you too, Zac . More than you know" she said gently as a tear trickled down her face and he lifted his finger to catch it, wiping it away gently, wishing he had been there for her when she needed him.

---

I found the trek to camp after the abseiling was short and not too tiring.

Zac and I pitched our tent in comfortable silence but I saw the looks he kept shooting me and I knew what he was thinking but I just wasn't ready to tell him yet.

How do I tell someone that I was attacked in my own home? That someone infringed my body and raped me, taking not only my virginity but my confidence and my dignity too?

And there was nothing I could do about it because if anyone found out, then I was putting other people's lives in danger. I just had to hope the fight stopped here. That the painful memories of that day could somehow fade and I could get on with my life and this stupid war would end.

It was almost two years ago that Jay had grassed up the rival gang member in trade to reduce his sentence, but it had taken me two years to recover from that night. And eventually I was breaking down emotionally, leaving me empty and unable to cope with anything much- culminating in me losing my job and I'd had to do something before I lost my sanity too.

This break was a last chance effort to get over that night and move on, make some decisions about where I wanted to go and what I wanted to do but it was proving too much for me, carrying this weight around.

I didn't join the group for dinner, instead taking my blanket and heading out to sit in the wilderness, listening to the peaceful silence around me, enjoying the emptiness and the darkness.

"Hey, you shouldn't be out here after dark" Zac accused gently as he swung his flashlight on my back and I snuggled into my blanket more.

"I need to be alone" I said in return, taking a deep breath and sighing it out.

He sat down next to me despite my words and enclosed his knees in his arms.

"It's beautiful out here. I don't know how you could leave England" he said.

"It was my parent's choice, I was too young to have a say" I explained.

"Do you miss it?" he asked.

I shrugged "Kinda" I didn't know how to say I was thinking of coming home without having to tell the whole sordid story.

"You want to move back?" he deduced and I looked to him, shocked. He smiled easily and I liked seeing him smile. "I'm intuitive" he explained.

"I guess I miss my parents" I said gently, fiddling with the edge of my sleeve, already knowing what he would ask me next.

"Jay out yet?" he asked.

"No." I replied succinctly and he knew it was sore subject.

"Let's go back to camp, you'll freeze out here" he said with concern.

"Maybe I want to" I replied despondently.

"I don't want you to" he flicked u.p a brow "Who's gonna drop me on my ass if you're not around?" he asked jokingly

I tried to smile "I wouldn't want to miss an opportunity, I guess" I conceded and he beamed as he rolled his lips together.

He stood and held out his hand which I took and he looked at me as we faced each other.

"Today has been really…intense" he frowned as he blinked.

"I know" I sighed "I'm sorry" I added.

"I wish you would quit that!" he teased .

"What?" I feigned innocence.

"Apologising!" he said.

"Make me, Efron" I challenged.

"Really?" he asked with another brow flick and I smiled into his face.

"Yeah, really" I returned.

His fingers traced my jaw gently as he tipped his head, kind of watching me and kind of smiling as he did so, then he leaned down the distance between us, gently kissing me on the lips.

A deep flash of desire ran through me at the contact and his lips were soft and full against mine but I panicked and pushed him away before he could progress the kiss any further.

"What are you doing?!" I asked suddenly, wondering what these feelings were rushing around my body. There were so many of them I couldn't define them as my heart pounded excitedly and my lips tingled for his once more.

"I…" he frowned like he didn't even know himself

"Don't touch me!" I said erratically "Do you understand? Don't ever touch me again!" I shouted and stormed away, my blood boiling with passion but I covered it with anger. How dare he kiss me like that?! After what he did to Tam, after seeing I was vulnerable!

God, but I shouldn't have come here and I definitely shouldn't have shared a tent with him. I thought we were immune to each other, I thought my hatred of him was deep and ingrained but I was wrong. I flopped on my bed and covered my face with my hands.

I didn't hate him at all. I wasn't going to look inside myself to work out what it was I was feeling, but I knew it wasn't hate.

A few minutes after I had laid down, I heard Zac call softly from outside the tent.

"Jen?"

"What?" I called back, trying to muster some anger that was rapidly dwindling as I remembered the feel of his lips on mine and my tummy tightened at the memory.

"Can I come in? Without you kicking me?" he asked and I smiled to myself.

"Wait, I'm coming out" I said and I crawled out and stood up, trying to meet his gaze as I bit my lip. "I need to use the toilet" I whispered shyly.

"Oh" he said and I looked to him and he was frowning still.

"Will you go with me?" I checked .

"Sure, of course" he nodded slowly and we travelled down to the out house.

I peeked at him as he waited patiently outside and I came back out, scared to death at the complete darkness around us now.

"Okay?" he checked and the tension between us was unbearable. He looked like he wanted to undo the last ten minutes and dive in his sleeping bag never to be seen again.

I nodded and took a deep breath as he started walking, feeling my lungs tightening as my fear increased.

"Hey, you okay?" he asked and I shook my head so he offered his arm, letting me decide if I should take his hand or his elbow.

I clamped both my arms around his so that he had trouble walking with my body so close to his, but he didn't say anything, he just tucked his hand in his pocket and kept walking until we found camp again and I scurried into the tent quickly, changing as he faced away.

"Jen…" he said as I lay down and faced away

"I told you before- you come near me and I'll punch you" I said but my tone wasn't terse or threatening, it was just tired.

"Okay, well, goodnight" he said and sighed as he lay down and I heard him fidgeting while I lay awake, afraid to close my eyes, but finding my exhausting day taking over my body and I eventually fell asleep.


	8. Trapped

**CHAPTER 8**

Zac rubbed a hand across his face as he woke and remembered what he had done last night, Jen's rejection of him clear and biting.

If it wasn't bad enough that he harbored those thoughts about her, he had not only acted on his feelings, but he'd done it at the worst moment.

He wasn't sure how he felt about it, other than his lips burned with the imprint of hers and his body ached to hold her in his arms.

He had liked holding her a little too much and now he felt lost without her there, fitting into his body and he wondered how two years could really have changed that much between them, that he could now find her attractive and contemplate a relationship with her?

He had to concede that their circumstances were unusual and pressured and that had to account for something.

"Its not that bad" she said from beside him and he flicked his hand off his eyes in surprise as she sat up and looked at him, pressing her lips together, reminding him only how amazingly soft and tempting they were.

He didn't know what to say; he was stumped, so he rolled up and grabbed his wash bag, crawling from the tent and heading out toward the toilet.

By the time he had returned, the camp was up and buzzing and he helped out with breakfast duties, carefully avoiding Jen who was sitting with Joan now as he headed to the group area to eat.

"Coo-eee! Zaccy!" Joan called and she and Marg giggled while Jen hid an amused smile at them using his least-favourite nickname.

"Hey" he said moodily as he sat down, furrowing his brows together and twisting his lips.

"Ohh, now what's wrong, young man? No smile for us today?" Marg asked

He felt his cheeks blush red as he twisted his lips into a smile awkwardly.

"Well, it's getting there" she said gently and chuckled as he took a bite of his cereal.

"It's my fault he's in a bad mood" Jen said and he lifted his brows as he chewed, unable to speak without being rude and spitting his cereal out.

"Oh honey, what did you do?" Joan asked as she touched Jen's knee and Jen met his gaze, stirring something in his tummy.

"I hid his razor. And now he has to walk around all beardy" she lied gleefully, daring him to challenge her claim.

"I hate beards" he said and took another mouthful.

"Well, I think it suits you" Joan smiled , "Don't you, Jen? I like a man with a bit of hair" she teased.

Jen beamed "I love a man with stubble" she announced boldly, making him choke as he swallowed his mouthful.

"Why do you think I hid it?" she whispered to Joan but he heard and he watched her with interest. She was playing with him.

Last night, she had told him never to come near her again and now she was playing with him. The vulnerable, broken girl of yesterday was replaced with this cheeky, teasing version and his head was spinning to keep up.

Whatever she was hiding, it was really big if she was going to such great lengths to convince him she was ok.

He finished his breakfast and smiled at the ladies before he turned and went back to the tent, still trying to get his head around the last twelve hours.

---

"Hey, I was only kidding about your beard…" I said as I came into the tent and was faced with Zac's bare back, which damn near brought on a heart attack.

Sweet Jesus, when did he start working out like that? I wondered as my mouth dropped agape with shock, my eyebrows rising as I appreciated the smooth skin and muscles rippling across his shoulders and spine as he turned and pressed his lips together.

"Knock much?" he asked drily as I let my eyes roll down his strong upper arms and I tried to flick a peek across his chest but it was hidden from my view. I twisted my lips in annoyance. Damn but he had a fine body.

I turned away as I sat back in my spot, packing up my stuff ready to move on and I took some deep breaths to calm my excited body.

"Ok, I'm decent" he said and I turned to meet his gaze, our eyes locking as the blue depths of his soulful gaze mesmirised me and I flicked my eyes to his lips, remembering how they felt, wondering if his stubble would feel erotic against my skin when he kissed me again or if it would scratch.

I frowned at my own thoughts, what was I thinking? He wasn't going to kiss me again! I had practically slapped him in the face at his first attempt, it wasn't exactly encouraging behaviour for him to try again.

And there was no way I was going to start something I couldn't finish. I was shocked by the hot dampness I felt between my thighs. After that night, I hadn't felt turned on by anyone, my mind blocking any sexy thoughts as the images gripped me and stopped me from being able to push past the fear and the pain.

But here, with Zac, his amazing lashes flicking gently down as he cut our eye contact, my body was buzzing with need and I couldn't understand where this feeling was coming from or why it was so sudden and so intense.

For three years I had bounced off him like a brother, and now I was contemplating how those muscles would feel under my hands. As his tongue flicked out to wet his lips, I couldn't help but wonder how his tongue would feel, flicking into my mouth and I closed my eyes against the pleasurable feelings that assuaged me.

I had to stop this ridiculous daydream! He may have kissed me, but Zac did not want me. Especially not in the way that I wanted him. At least, the way my body wanted his right now. He couldn't possible feel attracted to me in that way and there was no way he would be able to deal with my baggage either.

I took a breath and pushed my bags through the flap as I climbed out and Zac followed, taking down the tent together, flicking looks at each other as we packed up and joined the group.

"We have an orienteering challenge today, everyone. Once we get down to the forest, we'll start it and tonight we will be staying at the lodge where there are showers and twin rooms for all of us" Dom explained and I clapped my hands happily.

As we set off, I looked to Zac and his face was still so sad, I couldn't help but tip my head at him as I shortened the distance between us, I came up to his side and wound my arm around his, slipping my hand down his wrist until I met his fingers in his pocket and he looked at me, lifting his hand from his pocket, allowing our fingers to entwine as I kept his gaze for a moment and smiled and he offered me a shy smile back, clasping my hand gently as we walked and we began to talk about the challenge and the thought of being able to shower at last.

"You two are such beautiful lovers" Joan smiled as she caught up with us.

"Huh?" I asked in shock as I turned to her quickly and almost stumbled, Zac keeping me upright with the strength of his arm and he hid a giggle under his hand at me.

"You're beautiful together" she said again "Luke told me" she added with a wink and I closed my eyes as I remembered we had told him Zac was my boyfriend.

I gripped his hand in mine as I thought about what I could say back, silently asking for support.

"Thank you, Joan" he said warmly from my side "That's very sweet of you"

I looked at him and tried not to smile. It was kinda funny, really. Neither of us knew what the flying fuck had happened in the last few days or what was going to happen and here we were, playing happy couple to the outside world.

A helicopter sounded in the distance and flew over head, bringing my gaze toward the sky and I wasn't looking where I was going as my toe caught a rock and I stumbled, Zac catching me with a chuckle.

"Oops, steady there, beautiful" he teased with a grin that melted my insides.

I gripped his arms as I got my balance "Thank you" I said through clenched teeth, widening my eyes as if to say 'What are you doing?!' but he ignored me because he took my fingers into his again firmly and we walked on.

It was comforting, having Zac's hand there to re-assure me and my mind was in fifty different places right now, but our connection was keeping me sane.

At the edge of the forest we were given our maps and all of the kit we needed for the orienteering exercise. It was dark in the forest, the trees were dense and tall and I noticed the sky graying over as we had trekked, signaling rain would not be far away. The forest floor was already wet and muddy from previous rainfall and lack of sunlight.

We had our ration packs and emergency kits and as we set off I flicked my eyes to Zac as I let out a breath and giggled.

"What in the heck was that?!" I accused gently .

"What?! What about you!" he returned and we dissolved into giggles as he ran away as I tried to swipe him and I caught him and tickled him, enjoying his smile and our comfortable relationship once more.

It was such a stark contrast to the tension of last night, I wondered if we would ever be able to go back to that moment where our lips met because it would ruin this enjoyment we had now.

We automatically linked hands as we followed the map, eventually the clouds breaking their load as the raindrops fell through the thick trees and plopped upon us.

The ground became muddier and slippy and it was darker and darker inside the maze of trees as the forest became denser.

"Zac?" I called gently as he led with the map and time was passing quickly.

"Yeah?" he stopped and turned his hooded face to me

"I'm kinda scared" I admitted with a shaky breath as the trees seemed to fold in on me, tightening the fear in my chest.

"Hey, it's okay, Jen." He murmured, coming closer "Look at me" he said and I lifted my eyes.

"I'm scared" I said again as I rubbed my lips together to rid the rain from them.

"Oh, baby, come here" he said softly and hugged me to him and I remembered him calling me that as I had descended the cliff. I had never heard him call Tam that and I tingled with the thought that he cared about me.

I accepted his hug as I buried my head in his chest as the rain fell on us from above.

"I don't know how far we have to go…what do you want to do?" he asked as he pulled back and his eyes searched mine.

"Let's walk a bit more" I suggested and he nodded.

"I'm sorry" he said out-of-the blue as the rain began to lash down harder, battering the branches of the trees and the ground was getting really dangerous.

"What for?" I frowned as I followed him, my hand tightly protected by his, the rain soaking through my clothes and reaching my skin. I shivered against the dampness.

"For getting us lost. For not calling you. For you thinking I chose my career over Tam" he answered and stopped, sighing.

My eyes widened as I saw the ground slip from under us and we were caught in a mudslide that slid us down the hill of the woodland as we quickly gripped onto each other and huddled together as we were swept away, landing in a messy, wet heap at the foot of the hill, the trees around us barely offering any protection.

"Oh fuck!" Zac swore, thrashing against the wet, soft ground to get up and he stood, grabbing my hands and he trekked through the deep , wet soil toward a sheltered area which looked like a cave but it was just a large rock that offered a respite from the rain and mud.

He waited until I caught him up before he led me before him and I crawled under the rock where there was enough room to sit and stand once inside its cavity.

He followed me in and watched me as I shivered, my teeth chattering.

"Oh god, Jen, I'm so sorry!" he said passionately, taking me into his arms again and I was so shocked by everything that had happened, I just stood and let him hold me.

"Come, sit down here" he said and I sat next to him and he maneuvered so that he straddled my back, his long legs bracing mine, his chest against my back as he held me tightly and rubbed my arms to warm me.

I curled my legs up and turned in Zac's arms, reaching up to touch his cheek with my cold finger tips "You don't need to be sorry" I assured him with a little smile.

He nodded and I couldn't bare the look of sorrow in his eyes.

"Zac…" I said and leaned up, tilting my head, nudging his nose to get him to do the same and I kissed his soft lips, his stubble bristling against my skin in a delicious rasp as I moved my lips against his and felt a warm rush rise from my tummy across my body as he responded.

Zac curled his arms around Jen and flicked his tongue out experimentally across her lower lip, feeling her arms wind around his neck and her fingers climb into his hair there, her body twisted so she could reach him as he deepened the kiss with her tightly held in his arms.

They were muddy, wet through from the rain and freezing cold, but he'd never been so turned on in his life as her tongue responded to his and she moaned softly into his mouth, causing his groin to stiffen in response and his brain to kick in, pulling him away from the hot temptation of her mouth, staring into her liquid brown eyes that told of her attraction to him as much as her hands threading through his hair.

She blinked at him, eyeing his mouth and he was so tempted to pull her back against his body and finish what they had started, but his instincts kicked in and he knew he had to get them dry before they ended up really ill.

"We should get out some fresh clothes and get dry" he said and watched her drop her gaze, slowly unwinding her hands from his neck, seemingly sad she couldn't stroke his hair anymore.

"Ok" she said quietly.

"Jen" he said and ran his hand down her back, around to her curvy side, but he couldn't think of the words he wanted to say.

What in the hell could he say? He didn't know himself how he felt so he could hardly tell her.

"I know, me too" she said and smiled before levering from his body and opening her rucksack to empty out her clothes, stripping her trousers off as he sat and stared in shock.

"Wait, I'll turn round" he said quickly and she flicked a grin at him as she rolled her eyes and he turned so that he lost sight of her beautiful bare legs, their curves imprinted into his brain,

"I'm done" she called and he turned back, also getting up and checking that she was okay with a gentle hand to her arm

She nodded and he allowed himself to change too, then pulling out the blanket from the emergency kit and wrapping her in it, pulling her into his body as he did so.

"This is not the time or the place, but seeing as we are stuck here for the time being, you should know what happened between me and Tam" he said, knowing it would be playing on her mind more and more after their second kiss.

Her large eyes stared at him. "I guess now is a good a time as any" she quipped and pulled from his hug to sit back down, crossing her legs and he sat down and mirrored her pose.

"That night… the night that you rang me and called me a heartless bastard…" he began and he watched as she closed her eyes painfully and he touched her knee to show he wasn't angry with her. He sighed "God, we had a huge fight that night" he said, the words hard to say.

"What about?" she prompted gently and he wondered if he shouldn't be getting them rescued rather than digging up this old pain.

"About the fact she was pregnant" he said softly, flicking his eyes up and meeting her shocked ones

"What?" she said softly, then her face changed to anger "You didn't want the baby because of your career?" she accused quickly and he almost smiled at her inaccurate deduction.

"You know me better than that, right?" he asked back, a little hurt but she looked suitably sheepish.

"I am so sorry" she said softly and took his fingers in her hand, stroking them. "Of course I do, god, I'm such an idiot" she said and he grinned.

"You're not, you're just a bit…" he searched for the right word as her keen gaze met his "…rash" he finished and she smiled in acceptance.

"What happened, Zac?" she prodded.

"Tam wanted an abortion, in fact, she told me that she was pregnant and then she told me she already had an abortion. That she couldn't see us having a future together and she didn't want to ruin my career over something she wasn't sure about" he explained, his voice soft and sore with his hurt.

"Oh my god" Jen whispered, her hand flying to her mouth and he wished he hadn't exposed her friend like this, but she had to know the truth. He had missed her and he wanted her friendship back.

"She didn't even give me a choice over my own baby's life" he shook his head as tears gathered at his eyes.

"That's why you were crying, the other night…" she realized quickly and he nodded, swallowing against his raw throat.

"Oh, Zac, why didn't you tell me?" she begged with a sorrowful tone, throwing her arms around his neck as he caught her and held her as his tears fell and she climbed into his lap where he stretched his legs out to make room for her to kneel.

"I couldn't" he admitted roughly as he held her and accepted her comfort, the rain outside their protective shell washing down the forest floor with increasing violence. "I couldn't tell anyone."

"I'm so sorry" she said softly, burying her face in his neck and he felt his belly tighten again from the feelings she was stirring in him. "I wish I had called you" she said as she pulled back.

He smiled gently and moved her fringe, which was damp and escaping her ponytail.

"You did, to tell me what an asshole I was" he joked.

Jen sobbed and covered her mouth, her eyes tearing and he realized she was really upset about how she had treated him.

"Hey, I was kidding" he assured her "Obviously Tam left that part of the story out" he sighed.

She nodded and touched his cheek "I've been so mean to you and you knew all along…and you just let me…"she frowned.

He dropped his gaze as she curled up between his thighs and he leaned back against the rock. "I guess I wanted to wait and see what Tam had said" he shrugged.

"Well let's just say that's not the version I was told" she said gently.

"I…I don't want you to think of Tam differently because of what I've told you." He hedged "I mean, it's her body and her choice, I know that" he added.

"You still shouldn't have found out like that. I…I'm just disappointed in her. We're like sisters and I never knew she could be like that" she commented.

"I guess everything just went crazy with my career and she felt a little threatened by it. I can't blame her for that. It's not like I've been able to maintain a relationship since" he mused.

Jen looked up at him and curled her hand around the back of his neck "I'm not pretending it's easy, but you didn't deserve that" she assured him.

Zac took a sigh and flicked his gaze to the cave entrance.

"I can't see how I can take us out of here tonight. We may as well try and bed down here" he suggested practically and he was surprised to find Jen kneeling up and kissing him with her soft, irresistible lips all of a sudden.

Cupping the back of her head with one of his hands, he tightened his arm around her back as she knelt between his thighs and he let her tongue enter his mouth as she controlled the kiss, setting his blood on fire as it shot around his body.

He heard a moan escape her mouth and fall against his tongue as he drove it against hers and he couldn't help the path his hands took toward her jacket, unzipping it so he could splay his hands at her ribs, wanting to cup her breasts and creeping his thumbs up the underside of her fleshy mounds to do just that.

Ever since they had tumbled into this hole he was dying to feel her newly curvy figure and now he was allowing himself the pleasure, curving his palms to take the soft weight of her breasts as she sighed with desire and clutched at his hair as she pulled back a little and stared into his face.

After flicking her gaze over his features, she leaned forward and placed a soft kiss against his jaw, working down to his neck as he let his hands glide over her hourglass waist and rest on her hips, his thumbs brushing up under the hem of her jumper.

But when he rolled the jumper up her belly a little and placed his hand against her skin there, she pulled back quickly, a scared look in her eyes as she gasped in shock.

"No, Zac" she said on a breathy voice.

She rolled her jumper down, removing his hands from her body and scooting back onto the floor, wrapping her arms across her body protectively.

He looked at her in bewilderment "I'm sorry…" he began, not quite sure if he had done anything wrong because she had seemed like she wanted this as much as he did.

"Please don't be" she said very quietly as she met his eyes and he saw her mixture of emotions playing across her face. "You're not the only one with a story to tell" she added.

He couldn't just sit there and let her shiver against the cold air seeping into the cave so he wrapped his legs around her as he shifted forward and hugged her into his warm body, feeling the cold skin of her cheek against his neck as she lay her face on his shoulder and unwrapped her arms from her body, placing them around his shoulders.

"What haven't you told me, Jen?" he wondered worriedly.

"I was raped" she said starkly, quietly and he was shocked to the core by her admission. At her frank expression of it, at it having happened and annoyed at himself for not having picked up on any signals that she might have been finding intimacy difficult.

"Oh jesus…" he swore softly, instinctively holding her more tightly, more protectively against his chest. Then a thought tinkled at the back of his mind and he pulled away, gently stroking her hair as she lay against his body. "Wait…it wasn't the gang was it?" he asked as the sudden realization hit him.

He felt her nod and as he heard her sniff, he realized she had begun to cry and he let her sob her pain into his shoulder, helpless to do anything other than hold her and show her he would be here for her, no matter what.

"Jen, I can't believe they would go that far- that's too much!" he argued.

"Jay grassed them in to get a shorter sentence and they got him back in the only way they knew how- by getting to me" she explained against her cries.

"Does he know?" he checked.

"No. And he never will or this whole thing will blow up again and I can't cope with the fear again" she said in a frightened, tight voice that took a hold inside his gut and twisted painfully there, mocking him for not being there to protect her.

"They took my virginity and my dignity that day and I'll never get it back" she said hollowly and he closed his eyes against the pain that stole his breath as he realized she had been a virgin, too.

"No, Jen. You do have your dignity and you have your life and you have me. I will never let them touch you again, do you understand?" he said seriously.

"Jay said the same thing, Zac" she protested lightly, pulling away, her pained brown eyes hurting him. "No offense, but it's only words. It didn't come to mean much before" she was cynical and he could see why. Jay's promise had been empty. His would pack a punch- from his own fist if need be.

"I promise" he said vehemently.

"Please don't. You can't be there for me and I don't want you to be, so please don't make a promise that we both know you can't keep" she pressed her lips together and if she wasn't so hurt and vulnerable, he would have been tempted into kissing her.

Rather than try and convince her he meant what he said, he had to prove it to her and he wasn't going to do that tonight.

He put up their tent as she sat at the entrance to their hideaway and touched her shoulder to bring her into the warmer, drier place for the night.

"Let me hold you?" he begged as they lay in their bags and she shifted closer as he unzipped his bag, laying it across the pair of them as he cuddled her closely. "I am so sorry about what happened, Jen. You didn't deserve anything bad to happen to you. You're such an amazing person" he complimented easily.

"So are you Zac, but then you always were" she returned sleepily and he felt her relax as she slept in his arms.


	9. Back to Safety

**Thanks for the reviews everyone sorry I have written much I have been really ill still xx**

**CHAPTER 9**

Zac's arms were just a little too comforting as I awoke in the damp coldness of our hiding place.

I knew that once we were up, this little piece of bliss would be lost because we would have to start trying to find our way back. I wondered if anyone else had got stranded during the orienteering and I worried a little about Joan and Marg.

Zac's arm was holding me close to him and I had my hands against his chest but I moved gently, encircling his shoulders as I hugged him and he stirred as I woke him with my movement.

"Hey, what's this?" he asked huskily, his sleepy voice reviving my throbbing desire for him, but I knew I wasn't ready to take the next step and I wondered if he would ever understand that.

We hadn't even talked about what was happening between us, it was kind of unsaid that our time together on this trip was just a confusion of emotions that neither of us wanted to identify. I really couldn't see him wanting to hook up once we were back in the reality of life in LA.

My heart squeezed as I thought about Tam and I felt Zac's hand splay against my spine as he gently rubbed there, comforting me but he didn't know why.

"Hello" I said as I pulled my face back from his chest and looked into his beautiful blue eyes.

Was I willing to go up in front of my very best friend and tell her I had kissed her ex-boyfriend? The fall out from this was going to be huge because I knew she would never forgive me. And I wondered if I could ever forgive her, for what she had done to Zac and for lying to me about it.

His lips curled at the corners and his eyes crinkled, his sleepy eyes a little closed as he wasn't fully awake yet. "Hello" he returned and smiled at me shyly.

"I'm afraid to go out there" I admitted, grasping the front of his jacket in my hands, wanting his strong body to envelope mine.

He seemed to understand my message because he wrapped both his arms around me tightly even though it was awkward and I circled mine around his shoulders again so that we fit in a tight cuddle, our many layers buffering our bodies.

"Why?" he asked with a little indention in his forehead

I took a breath, wondering if what I was about to say would ruin the moment.

"I like being in your arms too much" I said, my breath hitching with fear "But that scares me just as much" I admitted with a small smile, my chest feeling like it was going to explode with the pressure of my heart hammering away inside it.

His blue eyes were intense as he continued to look at me and I began to count the freckles on his nose as I waited for him to speak or move or do something.

"I like having you in my arms, too" he said eventually, blinking so that his curly lashes hit his cheeks and I couldn't breath.

I was trying to resist his lips and it was proving very difficult. I tilted my face, taking this moment, this limited chance, to show him that my desire for him was still real, I just couldn't extend it right now.

His lips against mine were firm and he kissed slowly, like he wanted this moment to last forever, our bodies so tightly jammed in together that I couldn't move if I wanted to as his tongue flicked into my mouth and I ran my fingers into his hair, not being able to resist its softness anymore than I could resist his tempting kisses.

He pulled away and looked at me "I should get you out of here before we die of pneumonia" he said and I smiled, feeling fatigued before we'd even began the trek back.

"Back to real life" I said and uncurled my fingers from his hair, leaving it messed and my fingers tingled as they lost their pleasure.

I managed to crawl up and stand in the small space, stretching my aching body and I could see the rain still falling, but slower and more gently.

"Hey…" he said and I turned, looking up to him "I…" he frowned, searching for the right words in this minefield that we had set up by crossing that line between being friends and being something more. "This doesn't have to… you know...I'm not just going to pretend this didn't happen. It's not one of those 'thought I was going to die' things" he said as his eyes went wide.

I couldn't help the grin that crawled onto my face as I watched him. "A few days ago I wanted to drop you down a big hole" I mused as his answering grin had me tingling all over again.

"And now?" he checked, knowing I had already said I enjoyed being in his arms.

"I'm changing my mind" I said.

He nodded, pressing his lips together "Well that's something, I guess"

We ventured out from under the rock, the forest floor still scarily slippy and we found ourselves falling a few times as we battled with the wet earth but we just kept helping each other back up as we tried to head east on the compass as instructed by Dom before we had left.

Hand in hand, wet through, tired and aching, we finally saw smoke in the distance and guessed the lodge wasn't far away.

We continued with a steady pace until we reached the side of the lodge and I stopped Zac before he went in, our arms stretched as my stopping caused him to turn with question in his eyes.

I let go of his hand and stepped up to him, throwing my arms around his neck, tears collecting at the corners of my eyes as the shock of last night sank in.

"Thank you, Zac" I breathed, suddenly filled with relief that we had made it back in one piece, but not wanting to share him with the group again after we were just finding a tentative trust with each other.

"Hey, you gotta stop hugging me, people will get ideas" he joked but his arms were tightly wound around my waist as he hugged me back.

I pulled back and nodded "Okay, I'm ready" I said gently.

--

Zac led Jen up the step of the lodge and knocked on the door, finding Dom on the other side looking distraught and worried.

"Oh my god there you are!" he called loudly and the rest of the group were milling around, suddenly interested in their return.

"Jennie, oh my poor baby!" Joan called and brought her in, severing her contact with Zac and he looked upon her to make sure she was okay.

"I'm covered in mud, Joan" she said shyly but Joan hugged her anyway, as did Marg.

"Group hug!" Luke called and headed over but Zac watched as Jennie stepped away and avoided his contact.

He was speaking to Dom about what had happened, letting the women fuss over Jen as they took her off to get her clean,

"Look, Zac, umm, there's something you have to know…" Dom said awkwardly

"What is it, man?" he asked impatiently, wanting to get clean himself.

"I had to call the authorities to announce you missing after the storm…" he began and Zac closed his eyes painfully

"You know who I am" he said softly and Dom nodded "Anyone else?" he checked quickly.

"No. It's just between us and…well I'm guessing it might get out that you're here…" he predicted.

Zac nodded, pressing his lips together, not really welcoming this news now that he knew Jen's story and how much she needed him. She didn't deserve the added complication his fame could bring and he didn't want to burden her with it, but she had to know in case there was a chance that they were linked.

He headed for the shower, dressing into some borrowed soft trousers and a white t-shirt that was a little tight on his muscled chest and he wandered out to look for Jen before he collapsed to sleep.

He found her curled up on the bottom of a bunk, Joan gently talking to her and he knocked on the open door, bringing her gaze to his.

"Hey" he said and flicked a corner of his mouth up.

"I'll leave you two alone" Joan said knowingly and got up to go, rubbing Zac 's arm and hugging him briefly before she left, leaving him shocked and touched at her tactile gesture.

He looked at the bunk and smiled "I guess I'm on top" he quipped cheekily as he began to climb up, giving Jen some space as he was sure she craved it after their recent proximity.

He laid his head down on the soft pillow and sighed with relief.

"Zac?" Jen called gently from below, but his eyes were too heavy and he had no energy to respond.

He heard his name again in the distance as he drifted into an exhausted sleep. "Mm" he said, almost unconscious and then he felt her body press into his as she slipped her arm around his waist as he lay haphazardly on his back and he sighed, shifting to make room for her, tucking his own arm around her small form, protecting her as she sought his comfort and he happily gave it, his soft snores following soon after.

--

Waking up in Zac's arms was not going to become a habit I told myself as I snuggled against him pretty much the same as the day before, only this time, our lives weren't in immediate danger and we didn't have to rush off anywhere which just made me ache with longing and I wished to God I could put the past behind me and be able to have a sexual relationship again because although he was the last person I expected to feel this way about, my whole body was alive with awareness of him and his muscled, firm body that I was curled into.

I knew it was a bad idea to let myself get closer to him and let him into my heart. I wish I hadn't climbed into his bunk bed now and that I had just stayed in my own bed and I had a quick idea to try and climb down before he woke.

His arms tightening around me as I moved to do so told me I was not going to get away with leaving as easily as I had hoped.

Damn Zac and his strong arms.

"You're escaping" he accused with his rough, sleep- ridden voice that just tickled me deep inside.

"I'm trying" I said back and he tightened his hold again.

"Am I that ugly without make-up?" he asked drily and I sniggered at him. The media were always printing stories about him wearing make up.

"No. Well maybe" I said and gave up my escape attempt and relaxed into his arms. "I just feel like…" I sighed while I searched for the right words.

"Everything has happened a bit quickly?" he guessed and it struck me that he felt the same but neither of us were putting the brakes on this growing attraction and bond we had forged.

"Yeah, kinda" I admitted "I feel like I am betraying Tam somehow, you know?" I asked gently.

He loosened his arms then at my words and he must have thought I was trying to go back on what we had shared.

I didn't know what I would face when I went back. I didn't know how Tam would feel when she found out that we had become close like this and I really didn't want to think about it. Maybe I should. Maybe I should be putting my best friends feeling before my own because that's what good friends did right? That's what sisters did.

Maybe this was all one huge mistake and it wasn't too late for me to roll up my feelings for Zac and tuck them away where I didn't have to face them and we could finish this trip like friends and nothing would ever be said about this holiday fling.

I actually smiled at my own thoughts. Who was I kidding?

Zac's support the last few days had reminded me with crashing clarity just how much I missed him and needed him. And I did have a responsibility to my friend but I also had one to myself.

Zac hadn't done anything wrong and Tam couldn't expect me to shut off my feelings for him.

I leaned up and kissed his cheek, the only part of him I could reach as he stared at the ceiling as he leaned on his arms under his head.

"I'm sorry you feel like you're betraying Tam" he said eventually in response.

"But it doesn't change the last few days" I added, bringing his gaze to mine, avoiding the unspoken subject between us.

"You don't hate me then?" he checked carefully with a budding smile.

"I guess not, Efron" I allowed .

"Good. Now we ought to go out there before they think we died in our sleep" he smiled gently.

"Let's go get breakfast huh?" I smiled, climbing down from the bunk carefully as he followed.

---

"He hasn't stopped looking at you, you know" Joan said to me with a smile as I ate my co-co pops with gusto, handed to me by Zac who was now hovering in the kitchen with the guys and apparently watching me as intently as I him.

"Huh?" I asked, pulled out of my thoughts, my exhaustion still hurting my bones despite our restful night's sleep. I was still wondering how Zac and I had got involved like we had, in such a short space of time.

"What happened out there?" Joan wondered with a cheeky glint in her eye

I smiled softly at her "Nothing like that. We were friends and it got real complicated and now it's even more complicated" I tried to explain.

"How so?" she enquired.

I was loathe to start detailing our history for fear of it becoming a story in the paper if anyone leaked it.

"I'd really rather not go into it" I said and finished my cereal, washing up my bowl and wandering back to the couch.

"We're going out for a short circuit walk and picnic today" Dom said to me as he came over "Are you coming along?" he asked.

I was still a little battered and bruised from the fall in the woods and I couldn't really face being with people right now, I just wanted to curl up on my own by the fire.

"Do you mind if I don't?" I asked quietly, flicking a look to Zac who was still stood in the kitchen chatting to Nick and some of the others. "Is Zac going?" I asked.

"He told me to ask you if you were going" Dom smiled knowingly "So I'm guessing not"

I blushed at the fact these people were watching us get closer and I was afraid of what they would think if it all blew up in my face.

"I'll stay here today. Are we back on the trail tomorrow?" I checked and Dom nodded.

"Yep, packing up and moving on in the morning." He agreed and I nodded, curling my legs up onto the sofa where I held them against my body and rested my chin on my knees as I looked out of the window into the forest as the group bustled around.

"Not coming out today, pretty lady?" Luke asked as he sat down.

"No, I'm going to rest" I said, turning my face so my cheek rested against my knee as I looked at him.

"Wanna share bunks?" he asked and I frowned.

"No, thank you" I replied politely.

"Your boyfriend, is he special or something?" he asked and I felt my heart constrict with fear. Shit, had he worked out who Zac was, too?

"He is to me" I answered, playing dumb.

"Aww, honey, you're special to me , too" Zac soothed from behind me and I lifted my eyes to his as he sat next to me on the sofa and cast a comfortable arm across my shoulders which I took as signal to lean back into his body.

Luke looked at us and got up to go, the rest of the group filing out as they called goodbye and I looked to Zac.

"Do you think he knows who you are?" I asked nervously.

"Nah, I think he's just jealous" he quipped with a smile as he unwound his arm and I shifted away from him, self consciously.

"He certainly seems to have taken a shine to me" I mused, fiddling with my hands.

"He's not the only one" he said gently and I snapped my gaze up.

"Who?" I wondered blindly, panicking.

Zac blushed as his lips curled and he flicked his eyes down. Oh god, he'd meant him and I'd just totally messed up at his attempt to compliment me.

"Oh" I said and pressed my lips together as the feel of his body next to mine seeped through my clothes and made my skin hum with excitement.

"Jeez, this is the strangest week in my life" he sighed and ran his hands through his hair, his elbow brushing my arm and I panicked at his honesty.

"I know" I agreed "I didn't know what to expect from this trip, but certainly not what has happened so far" I admitted "Look, what I told you last night…" I began nervously.

"I know, it's private, I won't tell anyone" he promised.

"No, I wasn't going to say that…I know you won't. I don't want you to feel like…you know that you're obligated to look out for me or anything. When we go back, nothing changes" I ventured.

He blinked, his gaze steady and I wasn't sure what he was thinking.

"You might not want anything to do with me when we get back" he pointed out.

"That's very true" I joked, taking his queue to lighten the mood.

"We are going to be so bored here all day" he warned as he squinted his eyes a little at me.

"I'm so tired, I think I'm going to nap for a while" I yawned.

"Well you will wake up at ungodly hours of the morning…" he mused.

"Mmm, it was the temptation of you, I couldn't resist!" I teased and got up, casting him a look as he remained on the sofa "You not coming?" I asked .

"Don't you want some time alone?" he checked.

I shook my head, my hair falling onto my shoulders from behind my ears where I had tucked it. "But if you do, then it's ok" I added,

He reached out his hand so I took it and helped him up "I'm not sick of you yet" he smiled, following me back to our bunks where I climbed the ladder into his bed.

"My place, then?" he enquired drily, following me up.

"I like it up here" I defended, letting him lay next to me and I lay on my back, conscious I had been cuddling him bed way too much in the last 24 hours.

I heard his soft snores a few moments later and I smiled affectionately at him, curling into his body where he curled his arm around my shoulders as I fit into the side of his body, also falling asleep soon after.


	10. Getting Closer

**CHAPTER 10**

"Mmm" he murmured as he stirred, squeezing me tighter as he enjoyed rubbing himself against me a little and I giggled at him for doing that. It was so cute and yet so erotic, I just wanted rub him back.

"Hey, you're laughing at me" he accused, his eyes still closed as I peeked at him and moved from his arms to get a look at his face.

His mouth was smiling as he popped open one eye "You're nice to wake up to" he said gently and I felt my heart plop into my feet. Oh god, that was about the most romantic thing anyone had ever said to me.

"You too, Efron" I returned affectionately, reaching up to trace his lips with my fingers and he snuggled closer to me, kissing me without hesitation.

I didn't know how many times it would take for him to kiss me so that I didn't get this amazing rush of happiness running around my body, but I guessed it wasn't going to happen any time soon.

The feelings bubbling up inside me were not going away and as I wound my arms around his neck, I felt him roll back so I was half laid on top of him as his hands braced my waist and his fingertips tickled my spine where my pajama top had ridden up and my skin was bare above my trousers band.

I shivered at the contact, moaning out loud as my whole body reacted and I didn't think about anything but how his hands felt on my body and his lips felt on mine.

---

Zac felt his body react to Jen's moan and he shifted awkwardly, trying to shield her from his arousal, worried at how she might feel knowing he was turned on like this.

He knew what she had told him last night was a big deal and he was determined not to push her but she was kissing him like she didn't want to stop and her hands splayed into his hair and he couldn't help himself as he pulled her against his body, his tightness meeting her softness as he did so.

She pulled back and looked into his eyes, her brown ones steady and showing her clear attraction, but also her fear.

He lifted his hand and brushed her hair back with gentle fingers as she leaned over him and he tried to catch his panting breaths.

She leaned forward and kissed his jaw gently and he closed his eyes in pleasure as she worked down to his neck and he cupped her backside to bring her fully into his hard, aching groin.

"Sorry about the stubble…" he husked out but she responded by licking her tongue out against the pulse at the base of his throat and he couldn't hold back, he rolled her over and pressed her into the bed, where she lay beneath him and placed her hands on his chest, running them down to the hem of his t-shirt and diving her fingers beneath the material, her eyes lighting up at the contact with his skin. She pulled the garment off with ease.

"Wow, Efron, you have been working out…" she commented lightly and he smiled, capturing her soft lips again as her hands appreciated his muscled torso and he found his own hand gliding up her body, cupping her breast gently and he felt her stiffen, causing him to pull away immediately as he feared it had brought back bad memories for her.

She had removed her hands from his chest and she now had them over her face where he wasn't sure if she was crying.

"Hey" he said gently and removed one hand, unable to move his other arm as he leaned on it over her body so he twined their fingers together as she continued to hide her face with her other hand. "Are you okay?" he checked.

"Not really" she said angrily "I just want to be able to…be normal!" she fumed, some angry tears falling on her face and he was forced to let go of her fingers to cuddle her the best he could, not quite able to roll from her body as he was caught tightly between her thighs.

"Don't you dare do that." He said gently "You are normal, Jen. You had the most horrific thing happen to you, do you not think I understand that?" he asked beseechingly.

She sniffled and looked into is face. "Can we…can we try again…just slowly….?" She wondered.

He wiped her tears away and ran a hand down her side, cupping her hip where she had her leg wrapped around his thigh.

He leaned forward, kissing her again as she wound her hands back into his hair, brushing them down his neck and to his naked chest again, pressing her body upwards to signal she wanted more.

He trailed his fingers gently up her belly as their slow, tender kiss damn near set him on fire and the play of her tongue against his was irresistible.

She took a breath as he brushed his fingers across the underside of her breast, feeling her pull back so she could watch him touching her and even that made him ache with longing. Slowly, so gently, he cupped his hand as he took her breast into his palm and watched as her lips pressed together in desire, her tongue flicking out to wet them and he felt her hips rise as his thumb crossed her nipple.

If he was with anyone else, he would have lost control by now, the intensity of their foreplay was excruciating to his strained body. But knowing it was Jen and how important it was that she trusted him to control his desire, he bit his lip and counted to ten as his eyes closed and he paused his exploration of her body.

--

"I'm sorry" I whispered as I saw Zac struggle to keep his obvious arousal under control and I bit my lip nervously, the throbbing between my thighs heavy and delicious and begging for completion of our foreplay.

I had never been this turned on in my life. I'd had a few boyfriends and I had tried dating since that night, but nothing compared the heat Zac's hands burnt across my skin as he tentatively touched me, exactly as I had asked him to and his tenderness was breaking my heart. His hot body pressed against mine was far to tempting.

"Shh" he whispered back, continuing his soft touches through my pyjama's and I met his gaze as I reached to pull up the hem of my top and his eyes followed. His hands finished my intended journey and he pulled the top over my head, his eyes appreciating my bare skin and then flicking to my face. He tenderly stroked my cheek as I gripped his bulging arms at my sides.

"You're beautiful" he said and leaned up toward me, kissing my neck, causing me to giggle as his stubble tickled me and rasped against my skin.

"You're beard!" I explained quickly, his answering smile turning my tummy with desire.

"Sorry- again" he lifted a brow but the humour was outlined by our panting, straining bodies and as he kissed me again, I felt like I was surely going to explode with the anticipation of what might happen.

Zac's hands on my bare skin were soothing and worshipping and when he leaned back to look at me, I know he was asking permission to remove my pajama bottoms.

"I don't know if I can…" I closed my eyes, knowing I wasn't ready for sex, but wanting to enjoy this erotic foreplay with him so badly.

"I know…" he murmured, wetting his lips "Just…trust me ok?" he asked and I swallowed, nodding.

He removed my pajama trousers by cupping his hands over my backside under the material and swishing them down, kissing my hip as he leaned to bring them right off my legs and I found a whimper leaving my lips as his mouth made contact there.

I was waiting for it to come, the block, the images that overtook my mind whenever I even got near to getting intimate with a guy and I was surprised when none came immediately.

As Zac gently stroked my thighs and tummy, slowly centering in on focusing between my thighs, I began to relax, letting him touch and stroke with his intensive, gentle way that had me liquid with heat.

His lips moved up to my ear, brushing the shell of it "Can I touch you?" he asked on a hoarse whisper and I felt my whole body contract with delight.

"Yes…" I expelled a soft breath, feeling his knuckles brush down my tummy again as he peeled off my knickers and ran his careful fingers back up the inside of my thigh, tickling the skin as he gazed into my face, making sure he was watching me as he teased the skin at the very top of my thigh.

I couldn't speak or moan or make any noise as I watched his pupils dilate with his passion, only stare in wonder at him as he patiently loved me with his hands, and I almost cried at his tenderness and gentle care.

---

Zac watched Jen very carefully as he dipped his finger gently inside of her dampness, her face so far showing only pleasure which bolstered him a little as he applied more pressure and as she bucked her hips at his hand, he dipped another finger into her, hoping that he would be the one to help her get over her nightmare of being sexually attacked and show her that it was possible to enjoy this intimacy again.

He didn't know why it mattered to him so much that he'd be the one to do it, but as he watched her eyes close in bliss, he knew he was getting in way too deep here.

In an intense few days, he was making love to his ex's best friend and the thought of that still worried him, but he couldn't resist her.

Her moans fell softly and he leaned across her body to kiss her, wanting to taste her sweet lips and she ran her fingers into his hair as she writhed against the pleasure of his touch.

"Zac…?" she panted in question as he pressed his thumb into her and brought it up against her clitoris,

As she closed her eyes, he felt her resist his body and he knew straight away that she was having a flashback and she pushed at his wrist between her thighs and he immediately let up his pressure, cursing himself for pushing her too far, bringing her small body into his as she whimpered and began to cry.

"I'm so sorry…" he soothed "Shh, it's okay" he tried to assure her, letting his body up from hers as he rolled onto his back when her hands pushed against his chest and he lay next to her, his hands outcast as he waited to see what she would do.

"Jen, I'm sorry…" he murmured again, his gut aching at having caused her memories to return just when he was trying to help her heal.

She shook her head "Please, don't be, I wanted to do this…I just…I" she took some quick breaths as he remained at her side in the bed but he couldn't resist reaching out to cup her arm in his hand gently and he picked up his tee shirt, slipping it over her head, helping her get her arms into it to cover her, also helping her with her underwear that he had flung down the bed.

She wound her arms around his neck as he lay patiently and he caught her to his body, wishing to god he could kill the person who had done this to her.

"I'm so sorry, Zac" she sighed against his neck and pulled away "I let you down again" she said sadly.

"Hey, shush, I want to be here for you. Through whatever it takes" he assured her as they cuddled a while longer in his bed.

---

"There's something you have to know" Zac sighed and I felt his hand lay against the back of my head tenderly "And believe me when I tell you I didn't want to tell you this, but I think you have a right to know"

"You're scaring me" I said and faced him.

"Its to do with us going missing- they had to call the emergency services and Dom warned me I might be tipped off to the press" he said and sighed, his gorgeous features marred by a worried frown "If they find me and we're …together…" he said awkwardly, struggling for words "Well, Tam might see and I don't know how you feel about that seeing as we haven't really talked about what this means…" he twisted his lips, gesturing us together in the bed.

"Wow" I whooshed out a breath, not sure what to make of what he had told me. I shifted so I could sit up against the wall and he followed my lead, soon holding me in his arms again.

"Look, I know this is the last thing you expected to be landed with and I know that there's nothing certain here, but I thought you should know…" he said nervously, lifting his hands expressively as he spoke.

I knelt up next to him and caught his hands, placing them into his lap as I gripped them gently.

"Stop panicking" I said and smiled with familiarity at Zac in panic mode. He had been like this when the paparazzi first started following him.

He joked that I would never get a boyfriend if everyone thought we were together. But it became clear to the media that it was Tam he was with and their relationship hadn't lasted long past his new-found fame.

"Its just life, Zac. We still have four days left and we can't just up and leave because the press MIGHT find you" I reasoned. "And you know if you're worried about Tam seeing us then maybe we shouldn't be doing this because it doesn't seem worth hiding anything just because of her" I argued, worried he was having second thoughts about our progressing relationship.

I guess he had so much more to take into account than I did, though he was right about Tam. It could get really complicated. I was still upset with her for what Zac had told me and I didn't want to make a situation difficult just to spite her. But I had been getting closer to Zac before he'd told me that. And there was nothing wrong with holding hands.

It didn't seem to matter much that our history was entwined because when I looked into his deep blue eyes right now, my tummy flipped and my body tingled excitedly and for my own selfish needs, I had to put out of my mind that he used to date my best friend. If there was any chance we could be friends again- or more- I wanted to take it.

"Aren't you worried about Tam?" he asked and this was about the most honest I could be with him and it took me back to the night we had that conversation.

I shrugged "I'd like to see if this could go beyond two weeks in a tent" I ventured.

He nodded, his eyes full of hope as he gripped my fingers. "I'd like to as well" he admitted.

"Then trust me. This isn't a fling for me either"

"I trust you" he said firmly.


	11. Picnic

**Thank you so much for the reviews everyone and welcome new reader!**

**Hopefully you'll check out my other stuff too.**

**I have been so ill the last 3 weeks it's lovely to read the nice comments.**

**Keep telling me what is good or bad etc. x**

**Ang**

**CHAPTER 11**

Having fallen sleep again, I woke up to find the bed empty of Zac's body and I panicked that I had scared him off with my earlier block during our foreplay, but I found a little note on the pillow next to me which touched me deeply seeing as our tentative relationship was hitting the fast track with the same amount of passion and trepidation.

Jen,

I'm in the kitchen

Zac x

I smiled and stretched out, my body all warm and tingly from his touch, despite my earlier glitch when my memories had flooded back.

I climbed from the bed and found some clean, comfy clothes from my meager store in my rucksack, heading out in tracksuit bottoms and a vest and I found Zac busy at the counter, looking sexy in combat trousers and a white t-shirt- his hair freshly washed but crazy messy across his head and I just had an overwhelming urge to plunge my fingers into it.

My breath caught in my throat as I saw the blanket he had set up on the living room floor, complete with picnic food and cutlery and my hand flew to my mouth in surprise.

My gasp had caught his attention and he turned and smiled.

"Mohammed can't go to the mountain" he quoted "I thought I'd make us our own picnic so you didn't feel like you'd missed out on anything on the trip"

My heart began pounding so hard at his gesture I felt like I was surely going to have a heart attack from the force of it. Where did I manage to find this amazing person who could touch me so deeply in the smallest way? Like the time we had gone to the fair and he and Tam had done the romantic big wheel but Zac knew I was a little down because I had got an F in the Science quiz that day and he'd gone and thrown a hoop on the hoopla, winning me a goldfish that he'd named UncleZ.

He looked over and frowned as I remained frozen to the spot and I felt happy tears spring from my eyes and he came over with the drinks he'd been preparing and lay them on the blanket, moving to me and resting his hands on my upper arms as he peered into my face, needing to bend a little to see.

"Hey, are you okay?" he worriedly.

"This is amazing, Zac, honestly, I never expected…" I whispered, gobsmacked.

"Its just lunch" he assured me with a funny little dig in his forehead as he watched me.

I flicked my eyes up and placed my hands on his chest, stepping forward to reach.

The words wouldn't come to allow me to respond to him and he honestly didn't know what he had done to make me cry but I tiptoed to kiss his mouth, pulling away again as he stood and smiled again.

"Your hair looks nice" I said shyly as he took my fingers in his and helped me down onto the floor, where he sat cross legged opposite me and I flicked my gaze over his handsome face, loving the crease at his mouth as he smiled and almost-dimples appeared.

He hadn't stopped smiling since I'd come out and it was a little distracting.

"It's a mess" he mused modestly and shook his head, flinging his fringe from his eyes.

"It's sexy" I said honestly and his blue eyes met mine, their dark edges getting darker at my words.

He squinted a little and I smiled "I know, it sounds weird, doesn't it" I blushed.

"It sounds nice" he replied as I sipped my hot chocolate and eyed the feast he had laid out hungrily. I'd been asleep most of the day and I was starving.

I reached out for a sausage roll at the same time he reached for a sandwich and we clashed fingers, making me giggle "Ladies first!" I teased and he let me take the food, sticking the sandwich in his mouth whole.

"Mm, yummy" I said as I continue to share the picnic, thinking how weird it was that I was sat here opposite my best friend's ex-boyfriend, thinking about his delicious naked body under that top, wondering how I could wangle another feel of his lovely hair.

"This reminds me of when we went to that Alice in Wonderland party for your 18th" he said as he watched me.

I choked on my sandwich "Oh my god, that was the greatest party ever!"

"The whole gang was there! I remember your stripy blue and white tights…" he giggled.

"Oh god, why did I go as Alice?" I berated myself, putting my hand across my eyes briefly "Hang on, you went in a rabbit suit, you can talk!" I accused.

"Oh man, that was so much fun. I still have the photos! They ended up all over the internet" he added with a roll of his eyes.

"Yeah I remember, and my skirt was so short and I opened up my magazine and found my thighs staring back at me!" I laughed, remembering my long blonde hair and slimmer figure with fondness.

I was like a different person now; I couldn't believe how much I had changed sometimes.

"God we've changed since then" I added .

"Not that much. You're still you" he smiled gently, offering me a chocolate cupcake which I took from him.

"And your still you, Zachary- still sweet and caring" I complimented

"I try" he shrugged good naturedly and I went to swipe at him but he pulled up his arms to protect his body, his face splitting into a boyish smile that I could get too used to seeing.

I was afraid of what would happen now. Going home still seemed a long way off and I wasn't sure how I was going to deal with anything yet- least of all Zac.

The door burst open and Dom trouped in with some of the group, finding us in the middle of our picnic.

"Hey, look at you two!" Dom teased "Very cosy!" he said as the others came in and I panicked and got up from the blanket, rushing back into the dorm room, rolling onto my bed and hiding under my duvet.

---

Zac watched as Jen flew into their room and left him to clear up the picnic area with an awkward blush as the rest of the group filed in and Joan smiled, helping him into the kitchen with the used crockery.

"You've been busy" she said knowingly.

"Yeah- thanks for the idea, she loved it" he said gently, still blushing and awkward at being caught.

"Don't worry, no-one here is going to give you grief over doing something nice" she assured him, touching his arm and he nodded.

"I better go see if she's okay…" he almost wondered out loud.

"Give her a little space, let me go talk to her" Joan suggested.

Zac sighed "She wants something I can't give her" he said knowingly "She wants re-assurance that what's happening between us is real."

"She's afraid, honey. Aren't we all" Joan mused "To me, that means it's real. But there's obviously a lot I don't know- and I won't pry about- that is holding you back" she eyed him knowingly and he wasn't surprised she read him so well.

"Do you mind coming out for a walk- just a little one?" he asked with a twist of his lips, conscious they could be heard.

"Of course not. Let's go, handsome" she smiled and he escorted her from the cabin into the woods.

--

Zac lay his hand on Jen's back as she lay curled under her duvet on her bed and he felt her shift but she didn't reveal herself.

"They're having dinner if you want to join them?" he asked.

"I'm not hungry" her soft voce came from under the cover.

"Want some company?" he asked his tummy tying nervous knots over what was going through her mind to make her withdraw like this.

"You go and eat, I'll be okay" her voice was muffled by the cover again.

Zac pressed his lips together, not wanting to leave her. "I'm not hungry either, I'm gonna sit in my bunk" he said, rubbing her back through the cover as he went to get up.

Jen turned in the bed and flipped up the cover, her bed-messed hair and tired eyes telling him she was vulnerable and needed him but he couldn't help but wonder who she'd had to lean on the two years since they'd last spoken.

"Don't think this is to do with you" she begged "I just need to learn to cope on my own. You won't be there to catch me forever" she mused with sad eyes.

He wanted to be, oh god he wanted to be so much, His gut ached with it. But he didn't understand the intensity of his feelings or the consequences he might face voicing them.

"I can try" he said instead "At least, I'm here for now" he added.

"Wanna come in?" she asked, holding up her duvet and he climbed under the cover, spooning her and wrapping his arm around her body, pulling her into his chest protectively.

"Everyone's gonna think we can't be apart" she joked gently "They're gonna think I'm being all girly and emotional"

"Who cares what they think?" he answered honestly, loving the feel of her backside against his groin and feeling a tingling there as his body reacted predictably at the contact with her irresistible curves.

"You should. God, Zac, we could come out of here and all kinds of stories get printed. You wanted to get away from the paps, not make the pressure worse."

"Wait…is that what you're worried about?" he wondered suddenly and he felt her stiffen in his arms.

"I'm worried about everything, Zac. I'm worried that I'll never get over what happened to me that night, I'm worried that now we've met again it's going to change everything, I'm worried that now we've met again it WON'T change anything. I'm worried about how I'm feeling, you're feeling. I'm worried about you being found and having to deal with the fall-out from the press…" she sighed as she struggled for breath and he tightened his arms around her ribs; feeling her increasingly labored breaths.

He crossed his arm across her chest, rocking her back so he could loop his other one underneath her and hold her tightly against him as she fought the tears that he knew were coming.

"Its okay, Jen…just let it out" he soothed, aching at her pain and her level of worry, most of it because of him.

He heard her sob and felt her body convulse with the force of it, so glad he had come in to see her so he could catch her and hold her while she cried out her enormous pain. She turned in his arms and wound her own arms around his neck, allowing him to fit her into his body and stroke her hair, touching his chin to her head as she burrowed into his throat, her tears making his skin damp there.

"Shh, oh baby" he murmured, wishing he could end her hurt once and for all but not knowing how.

It took a while for her to calm down and he continued to gently stroke her, eventually humming and he began to sing to her, almost a million miles away in his own mind as he tried to make sense of what might happen when they got back.

Her hands crawled onto his chest as she rested there, sighing gently and he hoped against all hope that the last week meant as much to her as it was beginning to mean to him.

"I love your singing" she murmured.

He smiled "Why, thank you Miss Gosling. I seem to remember you making me sing at the camp fire against my will" he joked, tightening his arms.

"I have to stop doing this" she said, shifting and he allowed her to move from his embrace.

"What?" he asked, confused, pouting his lips as his hair fell messily across his forehead.

"Zac, I have practically spent the last two days in your arms…" she reasoned with a roll of her eyes and she sat at the opposite end of the bed, away from him.

He shrugged "I don't mind"

She watched him steadily "I just need some time" she explained and he nodded, sitting up and swinging his legs over the side of the bed to get up and go to his own bunk.

He couldn't work out where he stood with her from one minute to the next. He was determined not to give her any reason to think he was going to bolt on her but it was hard for him to understand why she kept pushing him away like this every time they got a little closer.

"I'm gonna get some snacks, you want something?" she asked tentatively as he looked back on her, his fear surely showing in his face as he worried if he'd been too tactile with her.

"No I'm good" he said, still sitting on the bed edge.

"Ok, well I'm gonna get some munchies" she said, padding out of the room in her soft clothes like a little girl.


	12. After the rain

**CHAPTER 12**

"There you are!" Joan greeted me as I came out from the bedroom; disheveled and relaxed the following morning. I had managed to resist my urge to curl up with Zac and had slept alone, letting my mind think over the confusing feelings buzzing around me.

"Hey mom" I joked, hugging her.

"Where's your man?" she asked fondly.

"He's sleeping…" I said with a little blush.

"Typical!" she teased "You should take him some breakfast, we have pancakes" she suggested.

"Oh, I don't want to be rude and be anti social" I said.

"Oh, look, here he comes anyway" Joan said affectionately as Zac came over, stretching his arms above his head which by time he reached me, he dropped slowly, one of his hands touching my back tenderly as he looked into my face.

"Morning Ladies" he greeted us all, but his attention was directly on me, making my tummy turn in delight. "You okay?" he checked and I nodded happily, pressing my fingers lightly against his chest next to me.

"Are you?" I asked back and he nodded, a little smile playing at his lips, like he wanted to say something else but he couldn't.

Joan beamed at us "I'll get you some pancakes" she said "Marg, help me?" she hinted and I couldn't stop staring into Zac's sleepy blue eyes.

"Missed waking up with you" he husked in my ear as he leaned down a little at my side.

My body popped alive with awareness. How dare he turn me on like that? We were supposed to be taking a step back and really thinking about what we were doing.

I flicked him a look and headed toward the sofa, curling my legs up under my arms in front of me.

Zac watched me and twisted his lips like he wasn't sure if he should follow me or not. I wanted to wrap my arms around his waist but there was something telling me to pull back and I listened to it.

Marg and Joan headed over with a plate for each of us and looked between us.

"Another lovers tiff?" Marg asked gently, taking Zac's hand to lead him over as Joan tapped my knees, indicating I should put my legs down and Zac sat next to me with his plate as I was handed mine.

"No, not really" Zac said quietly.

"Kiss and make up" Joan demanded and I giggled as she folded her arms firmly across her chest.

"What?" I smiled.

"Kiss and make up. Kiss him" she said again and I was shocked at her insistence.

"Alright, geez…" I murmured, turning to face him, placing my plate on the sofa quickly as I leaned toward him, only he was facing frontward so I was left to kiss his cheek.

"Zachary!" Marg admonished and he lifted his brows.

"What!?" he said, equally embarrassed by this whole scenario. Marg folded her arms too so that the pair of them looked at us like our mothers might have when we were sulking five year olds.

"Oh alright…" he sighed like it was the worst thing in the world having to kiss me and he turned his face quickly, pulling a face at me.

"Let's get it over with" he murmured, but touched my cheek gently as he brought my face to his and he tilted his head, his eyes flicking over my features before laying his lips against mine in a soft kiss that had me curling up on the inside with the warm fuzzy feelings abounding me. I wrapped my hands around his jaw and pulled away as we stared at each other in wonder and fear.

"Oh my gosh!" Joan said and I turned to see tears in her eyes and I got up quickly to comfort her.

"What's wrong?" I asked quickly.

"You two! It reminds me of when I got married to my late husband, Derek" she said and wiped her tears and I looked back on Zac to see he was tucking into his food; oblivious to what she had just said.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you" I said gently.

"No, it's beautiful. They're happy tears!" she assured me.

I comforted her and swiped Zac's knee as I sat back down.

"What?" He asked.

"Typical. Just scoff your face why don't you" I accused gently.

"Mm-mm" he nodded unapologetically.

"I swear to god she thinks we're going to get married" I mused, tucking into my own breakfast.

Zac was still quiet as we packed up and I felt my tummy tighten with fear that I was pushing him too far away. Being trapped with him and sharing my deepest secret was the closest I had ever been with anyone before and I knew that going back to reality was going to be hard.

Maybe if I began to break away from him now, going back wouldn't be as difficult. I may have thought about him over the last two years but it's not like the thought of him brought my skin alive, like now.

My mind felt like a mad mash of emotions as I got ready to leave the lodge.

--

The trek was contemplative and the walking gentle, Zac dropping back to talk to his new-found friends while I walked alone, enjoying the wilderness and the feeling of being on top of the world out here on the hills.

The temptation to get lost out here was huge. Being trapped under a boulder with Zac had been scary but out here on the hill, the beauty of the land around me was drawing me away from my past and forcing me to look forward.

The images that controlled my mind would fade, I just had to trust that would happen. The counseling I'd had, had helped and now I was testing myself with Zac's intimacy, smiling as I remembered his hands upon me and hoping I might get another chance to be close with him again.

Right now he seemed a little unsure of my ups and downs and who could blame him? The guy came here to get a break not to deal with my trauma and yet here we both were, dealing with our own very private hurts and hoping this trip would heal some of the pain of the past.

"Jennie" Joan called gently from behind me and I turned to her, smiling, feeling my body loosen and relax as a weight shifted from my shoulders.

"Hey, Joan" I smiled.

"Hey, you okay, out here all alone?" she asked and I realized I had wandered away from the group as they sat and had a drink break. Zac was hovering on the edge of the group; his eyes on me as he stood with the guys, ready to assist if I gave him signal.

"He's always worrying about me" I frowned a little and ignored her question and Joan smiled at me and stroked my arm as she came closer.

"He cares about you a lot. I think he's scared to tell you" she confided.

"He's not the only one" I mused gently, barely opening my mouth to speak.

"I'm sorry if I came between you and made things awkward…" she began.

I smiled genuinely "You know what Joan; things were awkward way before you got involved. I'm glad you're here. You're like a mom and a match maker all in one"

"Where is your mum, does she live far away?" she checked subtly.

I dropped my gaze "No, I'm going to see her before I go home but I had to do this first, get it out of my system" I explained .

"You want some more time alone? I can keep him back if you'd like?" Joan hedged and it surprised me that Zac was really that keen to be with me. It wasn't like we hadn't seen enough of each other in the last week.

I guess telling him my secret and withdrawing into my shell kind of led to him being worried. But I was equally worried about the pressure of his fame and I felt helpless to relieve it. Maybe I had to stop looking at myself for the rest of the trip and I should start thinking about someone else.

I walked back to the group with Joan and without hesitation or acknowledgement of the three guys with him, I walked up to Zac and circled my arms around his neck, kissing him on the cheek and beaming a silly smile at him.

"You are the most amazing boyfriend ever" I announced and the group looked around to us in interest.

"Huh?" he asked, his eyes wide with question and his mouth agape with shock at my blatant show of affection.

"Joan told me all about it" I hinted even though he didn't know what I was talking about and neither did Joan.

"She did?" he hedged nervously and I could feel his fingers press into my lower back as he supported me and his heartbeat was a little erratic.

"Our anniversary, silly!" I teased with a smile and nudged his nose with mine, kissing him again softly, but more meaningfully than before.

"Oh…that" he frowned with one eyebrow a cast.

"It's okay, I know it's a surprise" I continued.

"It is" he said, trying hard to not make it sound like a question "And now everyone knows" he pointed out gently, his blue eyes trawling mine for clues.

I bit my lip and rubbed my body against his a little. "I'm so excited" I said.

"Yeah, me too…" he trailed off and I let go of his neck, releasing from his arms to get a coffee and talk to the rest of the group like nothing had happened, leaving Zac shocked behind me.

--

Zac looked to Andy and Bryn as Jennie moved away and rubbed his lips together "Yeah- sorry about that guys" he apologized quickly, blushing.

"She's beautiful" Bryn said "You don't need to be sorry for being her boyfriend" he smiled.

Zac rubbed his lower lip with his forefinger as he watched Jen a little "Yeah, she's just…she blows me away sometimes" he said confusedly.

"Natural beauty" Andy agreed "She doesn't need make up. You are one lucky son of a gun"

"Yeah, I guess I am" he murmured, his mind still reeling from her quick change in moods again. All morning she had avoided him and here she was pulling a 180 on him again.

"Is she cool, too?" Bryn checked in a manly bonding kind of way.

Zac smiled before he answered "She's awesome, dude. She's the kind of girl who'll dig through the trash to find something you lost and not moan about the dirt and she can turn up to a party looking like…like a million dollars" he explained "She's funny and sweet and caring and…" he stopped, suddenly realizing he was gushing. "Well you know she's a nice girl" he finished quickly and Andy chuckled.

"You are such a goner for her, mate" he said in his British accent and Zac nodded without knowing.

"I think you might have a point there. I just don't know that she feels the same" he admitted with an eyebrow lift as he faced them again fully, cutting his gaze from Jennie.

"Well judging by the amount of times she has looked over here so far, I'd say you are pretty safe" Bryn patted his arm and Zac chuckled.

"Thanks, man, I'll hold you to that" he joked and they packed up their break equipment, heading back on the trail.

Zac hovered to see if Jennie would join him and she came over willingly, taking his fingers and smiling up into his face.

"We could get caught" he reasoned so that she knew what she was doing.

"Mmm. Could do" she agreed and leaned her head against his arm briefly in affection, leading him forward for the walk.

He smiled at her as he followed, knowing she didn't care about what the consequences of this week were and hope burned in his heart that this could be more than just a fling for them. Even before he had made it big, Tam had struggled with the female attention he received and he didn't want to put Jennie through it all too. If she wasn't into this 100% then they would go their separate ways in two days time.

The thought of that sent a strange aching pain through his heart like a fear gripping him and he had never felt like this before. What had changed in the last week that would cause him to become so attached to Jennie like this?

Her fingers twined and played with his as she looked out on the horizon and he looked inside himself. For two years he had wondered fleetingly how she was doing and whether she thought of him too. He'd thought about calling and changed his mind several times over, the break up with Tam too fresh and too public to keep him contemplating his friendship with Jennie for too long.

But he wondered if she had been there in the last two years, if she knew what she knew now and the situation had been different, how he might have done things differently.

The walking day went quickly and it was dusk and time for pitching tents before he knew it and the camp fire was soothing to his cold bones in the chilled night air.

He cast a look around for Jennie but couldn't see her, presuming she was off with Joan or Marg somewhere but he saw the two older ladies huddling around the food, bringing out marshmallows.

"Hey, have you seen Jen?" he asked, rubbing his hands together.

"Oh she came to look for you, needed an urgent pee..." Joan said and he panicked, thinking she must have gone alone to the toilet in the dark without him and he trekked out there after her with his torch.

When he reached the loo, Luke was bending over her and about to kiss her as she stood frozen, her wrists captured in his hands.

"Get your fucking hands off her!" Zac roared and swiftly stalked over, grabbing Luke by the front of his jacket as he made sure Jen was behind him where he could protect her.

"Hey, man…I was just doing what she asked" Luke lied and Zac brought him up closer to his angry face .

"I should punch your lights out, think yourself lucky I haven't. I don't wanna see you within fifty paces of her again, you got me?" he asked in a snarl.

Luke nodded.

"You got me?" he asked again, more vehemently.

"Yes, alright" Luke said and Zac let him down .

"Good, now scram!" he warned and Luke loped off, leaving Zac to bring Jen into his protective embrace.

"Are you okay, baby?" he asked, noticing she was shaking but not crying.

"Yeah just a little spooked." She assured him.

"That's my girl" he teased as he hugged her tightly, his arm muscles bugling at the action.

"Zac?" she said his name in question and he rested his chin against her head.

"Mmm?" he murmured, enjoying the feel of her body against his despite their recent closeness.

"Did you ever think about me, you know…after Tam?" she wondered.

He breathed out as he almost laughed "Sure I did. But I was too chicken to call. How about you? Did you think about little ol' me?" he asked boyishly.

"Lots of times. But I had more reason to hate you then…I didn't know what I know now" she re-iterated.

"I know" he said gently, sorry for that and for his lack of courage to call her.

"Do you think we can try again, when we get back?" she voiced the very words he was dying to know the answer to himself and he had been panicking that he would have to ask her this question because she hadn't shown much indication for her desire to keep seeing each other other than saying she like to see if they could last beyond this holiday.

"I sure would like to, but we'll have a whole heap of mess to deal with when we go home" he sighed and stepped back, linking their fingers comfortably, walking with her back to camp.

"I'm staying in the UK for a bit longer" she said then, surprising him.

"To see Kay and David?" he checked, speaking of her parents whom he had met once before they had moved.

"Mm-mm" she nodded.

"How long?" he asked.

"Two days" she supplied.

"Want some company or you going alone?" he asked.

--

I looked to Zac and wondered if he meant that offer of support.

"Would you come?" I asked "I mean, could you come, if I wanted you to?" I re-phrased.

He nodded "Sure"

"Well, if it's okay, I'd like to think about it" I hedged.

"Of course" he allowed and we headed into camp, joining the gang at the camp fire where Zac deposited me with Joan to share melted mallows while he went off to chat with Dom, presumably about Luke.


	13. Second Thoughts

**Thanks for the reviews!**

**CHAPTER 13**

Once we had eaten and were bedded for the night, I sighed into the darkness of the tent.

"I don't like that I can't sleep without being near you" I mumbled into the thin air, not knowing if Zac was awake but hoping he wasn't because I had a habit of saying my thoughts out loud and they were quite often the most embarrassing ones.

"Hop into my sleeping bag then" he suggested from across the floor and I cringed inwardly, and then wondered why he was awake, too.

"There's not enough room for two" I argued.

"There is if you cuddle" he said knowingly.

"Something tells me you've done this before" I pouted as I unzipped my bag and he unzipped his halfway so I could struggle into the small space and he zipped it up a little and straight away I had to lift my arms to strip my jumper because it was way too hot being this close to him.

"Oww" he held a palm over his eye as the material of my top caught him and almost my elbow too.

"Oh, I'm sorry" I said and touched his hand, realizing the burning at my belly was coming from the contact with his bare chest, my vest ridden up from where I had cast my top off.

It was really awkward being this jammed in with such a sexy partner, but it was also extremely erotic. My skin was prickling and tingling and warming at the sheer excitement of it.

I had no choice but to dip my knee between his, bringing his thigh up between mine, my arms wrapping around his neck and the connection between our eyes was sending me insane with desire.

"I can't pretend I don't want this" I admitted as I kissed him and our lips joining began a slow ache in my stomach that felt like coming home and leaving him all in one. It was like the pleasure was so much it was painful to enjoy, knowing the bitter sweetness of this whole experience would be ending.

"I'm not even gonna try" he husked as he shifted me in his arms and I felt him press my body against his hot need, bringing a little whimper from my lips at his powerful words.

His kiss was strong and willful, but it didn't frighten me anymore being with him like this. I knew I could trust him and I knew he would kiss me slower once our initial need to be together had worn off. These first few moments were intense and pressing, leading to something far more gentle and stirring.

"Just…stop me, whenever you want ok? We don't have to do anything if you don't want to" he assured me as his husky voice wrapped around my gut and caused liquid heat to run through me as his words hit me deep in my soul.

I nodded "Same to you" I added with a little smile for humour and he smiled back, his lips pressing against mine as our need took over and his hands explored my body,setting it tingling alight and alive with the tenderness of his caresses.

I let my hands wander, taking in his extraordinarily gorgeous muscled chest, and the play of muscles across his stomach fascinating to me. I ran my hands up over his strong chest and across his built shoulders, knowing what his back looked like, but wanting my fingers to know the pattern, too as they traced the firmness of his muscles.

His arms had always been my favourite part and now I could enjoy them, touching and gripping and stroking while he bunched me up close to him, showing off his biceps to full advantage.

"Very nice, Efron" I whispered against his ear, very gently licking my tongue out and experimenting with that form of pleasure as I trailed down his chest with tonguing kisses, landing at his belly button.

"Jen" he moaned in warning, placing his hand to cup my hair.

I ran my hands over his backside and marveled at his arousal standing proud beneath his boxers, my hands keen to touch him there but I was a little afraid of starting something I couldn't finish.

"Go ahead…" he said gently, seeing my turmoil.

I kissed him again gently in thanks and placed my hands against his boxers, running my fingers gently over his hardness, feeling him tense his body with a sharp intake of breath.

The heat that flashed through me told me I was ready to make love with him, but I was so, so fearful of those images returning and I didn't think I could do it to him, stop him once we started.

"Zac…" I hedged gently as his hands trailed up my sides, leaving my skin tingling, hovering below my breasts under my vest where he was gently thumbing my ribs. "Can we…do you have any protection?" I checked quickly.

His blue eyes met mine and the panting of his breaths and intensity of his stare had me all but moaning out loud. If that look didn't turn me on then nothing would.

"I do…but…"He paused.

"Where is it?" I asked and he pointed to his bag which he reached into and dug out his condoms. Of which he had two.

"I don't know if we should…" he said as he rubbed my arms, stroking my hair and framing my face.

"Nor do I, but I'd like to try" I admitted honestly, my body's aching need over-ruling my head.

He nodded "Okay" he agreed, kissing me again sweetly and pressing his thumbs over my nipples, making me squirm and moan again as he shifted in the tight space, unzipping the bag to make room for him to lay atop me, where I spread my thighs and he rested himself on his arm, peeling off my vest top as his lips followed the pattern of his hands, my intimate centre feeling damp at the foreplay.

--

Zac knew it was time but he was so afraid for Jen that he held on for as long as he could until she was at the brink of her peak, feeling inside of her that she was more than ready for him.

He reached down to roll on his sheath and then looked up into her face.

He wrapped his hand around her thigh, bringing it over his and gently pressing his tip at her entrance, watching her reaction as he did so and biting his lip as he waited for a stop or go.

She nodded and he inched inside of her hotness, feeling her dampness envelope him and she sighed erotically, causing him to moan against her neck, curling his body against the strain of holding back.

"Zac…please…" she murmured and he slowly entered her fully, feeling her heat wrap him up and clench him tightly inside of her as she accustomed herself to this new feeling.

"Oh my…" she said, shocked and he stiffened at her words.

"What is it?" he worried, stroking her hair back.

"It's so…I had no idea it could feel this good" she closed her eyes as her swollen mouth parted and his aching body couldn't hold back from the thrusts he needed to execute to bring his satisfaction.

But he was gentle, so gentle and slow and he listened for her breaths and moans before he moved again against her and soon he felt her fingers wrapping around his arms as her need overwhelmed his constraint and he rocked against her, completing in his climax as he released against her tightening intimate muscles as she shook gently beneath him from her own orgasm.

"God, I'm so sorry…did I hurt you?" he worried, gently withdrawing and removing his protection, making them safe by pulling his boxers on, too before touching her face tenderly.

"Zac, stop worrying, you were amazing. Better than amazing. Thank you, for taking it slow and for…" she wanted to say something else but she blushed "…being you" she finished and he let himself relax, pulling her against his body and wrapping her up in his arms.

"Mmm" he husked happily as he felt her warm skin make contact with almost all of his body in their tight cocoon.

"I'm naked" she said shyly

"Mmm, I know" he smiled against her forehead, enjoying the sensation of her curvy body pressing into his.

"So what have you got planned for our 'anniversary'?" she checked, both knowing full well it wasn't real.

"It's a surprise" he said predictably and leaned back to tuck her hair behind her ear, kissing her nose affectionately.

"You know I don't like surprises" she sulked.

He squinted one eye as the temptation of her naked body brought his arousal back to life.

"You're about to get one" he warned as he felt his hardness press against her hip and she lifted her shocked and delighted eyes to his, flooring him with her look of pleasure.

"Zachary Efron!" she chided "Put that away"

He chuckled, still holding her tightly in his arms and she squirmed to be set free.

"Hey, I can go if you'd just quit holding me in your world's strongest man grip" she teased.

"Who said I want you to go?" his voice trickled warmly with his smile.

"You want to…do it again?" she panicked.

"No! God, no" he assured her quickly "But I sure as hell want to hold you" he added.

"But…" she protested.

"Ignore it, it'll go away" he joked and she relaxed back into his arms and he knew she was trying to escape and she would try again and he wasn't going to let her.

Their love-making had only cemented the inkling of feelings he'd been having for her and he was certain in his mind that going back to LA was going to be harder than he ever expected at the start of this whole trip.

But as he fell asleep with a contented smile on his lips, seeing Jen's mirroring back at him as he checked on her, he knew it was all going to be worth it.

--

It was gone twilight when I crept from the tent, managing to manipulate Zac's arms away from me without waking him.

The sky was grey and offered little light and the air was damp with dew, forcing me to wrap his hoodie around me tightly as I wandered out onto the hill.

All night I had been besieged by nightmares of my rape ordeal and after such a beautiful moment with Zac, it was the last thing I had expected to deal with. If this is what it meant for me, every time I got close to someone, then I'd rather stay celibate and not share the weight of my demons by burdening anyone else.

It was hard enough to let anyone close to me, let alone Zac. There were so many reasons why we shouldn't fit together and yet we did, but those reasons right now were the only thing I could draw upon to stop this aching hollow in my heart where I tried to fight him out and fill it with something else that made me even half as happy and excited.

He had a huge career ahead of him, all he wanted was to come home to a nice girl, have sex with her and go to bed. If I couldn't even fulfill that role then what hope was there for us?

I turned my face into my palms and drew my knees up, resting my arms there as I let my sobs fall silently onto the hills around me and my pain ebbed away, the grey sky soaking it up as it hung stale in the barely-morning air.

I took a huge, racking breath in and felt a warm hand curl onto my back.

"Hey, there you are" he said huskily.

I looked up and then back down quickly, hiding my eyes. "Last night was a mistake" I said quickly.

"What?" Zac's voice was soft and hurt.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't ready and I thought I was and this should just stop here before we both get into something we can't finish" I said and got up, running away from him as hurtful sobs hit my convulsing body and I roared out my pain and anger, knowing that I had probably hurt Zac just as badly and not being able to go back like my body was willing me to and seek the comfort of his arms.

It wasn't too late, I could still push all of these feelings back inside me where they were safe and didn't threaten to over spill and create this huge swirling pit of unknown future that I didn't want to face. I could go back to LA and carry on with my life, pick up the pieces, find some bar work, save up enough money to leave town.

Zac could go back to his life as a movie star and I could just pretend none of this had happened.

Only as my tears fell and I rocked my body against the painful hurt that ripped at me; I knew ultimately that nothing would ever be the same again and it was too late to try and go back on anything that had happened.

My feelings for Zac were as sure as the tears against my fingers and I don't know what frightened me more- the possibility of making something with him, or the possibility of losing him.

Sooner or later he would get fed up of my insecurities and old hurts and why should he have to deal with that anyway? He deserved a nice girl who could help him relax and shelter from the storm of his hectic life, not someone who was going to drain him even more.

"Oh my gracious, what happened here?" Joan asked as I felt her hand touch my back and she leaned down toward me as I crouched with my pain. "I told him it was over!" I bawled hysterically and wrapped my arms around the older lady for comfort.

"I know, honey, I just saw him" she said gently and I sobbed harder .

"I'm so afraid of letting him close that I just keep pushing him away!" I cried against her shoulder.

"I know, honey, I know" she soothed me "Look, let's go back and get you a hot drink" she suggested.

I shook my head frantically "I can't see him, he'll hate me!" I panicked.

"He doesn't hate you" she assured me "Believe me, if there's one thing that boy doesn't do, it's hate you" she muttered under her breath "He's just as confused as you and he doesn't know how to make things right." She explained and I took some steadying breaths .

"You think you're worrying about what's happening here?" Joan asked me and I nodded "He's worrying ten times over, I can assure you" she smoothed a hand down my arm.

I lifted my eyes to hers "He is?"

She nodded "Okay, you don't have to face him but please come and get warm, I'm worried about you out here in the cold and damp all alone" she insisted.

"Okay" I agreed and let her lead me into camp where she directed me onto a log near Marg and away from Zac who was packing up the tents and kit with the guys, carefully avoiding me.

I lay my head into my palms and hid my face, feeling Marg's hand touch my knee and I looked dup to see Joan handing me a hot chocolate and she wrapped me in a blanket as I began to shiver, my exhaustion and aching frame returning quickly without the warmth of Zac 's embrace to soothe the pain.

"Are you ok?" Joan frowned worriedly.

I nodded but my whole body felt like it was in shock and I closed my eyes against the blankness before them. It felt like all the bad memories of that night were disappearing and my body was casting out all of the left over pain and at the end of it I was going to be an empty shell ready to start all over again in a new life, a new way


	14. Seeking Zac

**I'm a little worried that I've lost my regular readers. I don't mind not getting many reviews but I hope everyone comes back for more Troyella.**

**Thanks for the comments Everyone who did review xx**

**CHAPTER 14**

The walk started pretty early and it seemed that today's challenge was climbing down hill without falling down. We had one night and one day left and by tomorrow night we should be home.

The progress down the hill was slow though and I felt my ankles aching with the pressure as I stepped down with care.

I still hadn't spoken to Zac and it was killing me slowly on the inside wondering what he was thinking. I was regretting my words, my behaviour and my inability to accept his support because right now I felt like I could use it. The entire trip he had been there if I had turned and looked for him, his hand ready to take mine, his eyes ready to bolster me, his lips ready to smile at me, his ear ready to listen. Only this time I turned round and he wasn't there,

I wondered what life would be like without Zac, what this trip would have been like and I couldn't quite picture it. It was frightening, thinking how quickly he had infiltrated into my heart and it scared me to think of him not being there.

Like the bright flash of lightening and great clap of thunder hitting the sky, I suddenly realized that I wasn't going to get a second chance with Zac.

Who cares how it had happened or why? Who cares about the past about our history about everyone and everything else?

Zac was there for me, really there for me and I couldn't pass that up. This comforting, delicious feeling he roused in me with a mere look was surely worth all the effort.

I looked around for him, the impending storm sending my heart beating erratically with fear and excitement. I couldn't see him amongst the group so I stalked across to Joan.

"Where's Zac?" I asked suddenly.

"He's back there with the men somewhere…" she wafted her hand behind her "Come along, dear, we're heading for the shelter down there" Joan pointed toward a lip on the decline at the foot of the hill.

"I have to see him" I said, panicking and climbing back up.

"Whoa, wait" Dom said "You can't waste your energy hiking back up; you'll need to reserve it. Andy's bringing up the back of the group" he said to me as he blocked me.

"I have to see him!" I said again "You don't understand!" I insisted, getting emotional and frustrated, still not being able to pick out Zac among the hikers descending the hill "Where is he?!" I shouted, the wind kicking up and the rain starting to fall as thunder cracked out again after the flash of blinding light.

"We have to go, Now" Dom commanded and directed the group down the hill but I was determined not to go anywhere without Zac and then I spotted him come over the brow of the hill and I took a gasping breath of relief.

He was a long way up the hill and I stood for a moment watching him, his hair tamed under a grey knit beanie that brought stark contrast to his bright blue eyes and he was making easy work of the tough terrain.

He seemed to sense my eyes seeking him out and he looked over and I silently pined for him, wishing I could tell him I was sorry and ask him if he would mind very much getting his butt down here so I could hug the hell out of him.

I burst into tears, so grateful to see his face despite the wind and rain lashing at me.

"Come on!" Dom shouted and tried to push me.

"Don't touch me!" I shouted, heading up the hill for Zac and I left Dom behind, seeing

Zac was making a hasty beeline for me also and I panted as my lungs struggled with the climb, pausing on the hill and resting my hands on my knees.

"Hey" His voice hit me before I felt his hand curl onto my back in his familiar gesture.

"Oh my god, I'm so glad you're here!" I cried randomly and grabbed him, throwing my arms around his neck "Where were you? I couldn't see you" I bawled as he held me steady in the downpour.

"Hey, it's okay, I'm here. What happened?" he wondered briefly, hugging me despite the rest of the group moving down the hill.

"I missed you" I said into his face, not knowing how else to express my emotions and wishing I could say everything that I wanted to, but not having the courage to.

His blue eyes softened and he cupped my jaw with his gentle palm, his thumb tracing my cheek.

"I'm sorry, Jen. I shouldn't have let last night happen" he apologized and his regret caught me off guard.

I trickled my fingers into his damp hair poking from his beanie and stared into his watery blue eyes.

"I wouldn't take back last night for anything" I assured him as the rain beat down on us and I reached up to kiss him, all my hurt and pain and passion pouring from my body and into my lips as I coaxed his into responding, our kiss as desperate and electrifying as the weather around us.

His arms were tight around me as we got wetter and wetter in the rain and I didn't care that I might be swept away in the storm because while I was here in Zac's arms, nothing else mattered but how his lips against mine evoked this exquisite, sweet tingling that enveloped my body and wiped away any other inconsequential details like the rain drops that fell around us and upon us.

"We have to get out of here" he whispered as he touched his forehead to mine and I nodded, taking his hand and letting him lead me down the hill until we reached the shelter which didn't hold much cover but there was a bit of a cave further down that we all trekked to once we had caught up.

----

Shimmying into the dry space, the loud wind flapping at the open edge of the rock,

Zac turned and found Jen clamping her arms around his waist, placing her face against his chest and stirring a very basic protective need in him that he expressed by wrapping his arms around her shoulders and holding her to him tightly.

"Honey are you ok?" Joan asked Jen and she nodded against his chest.

"Mm-mm. I am now" her voice came a little muffled from her contact with his body and her words made him feel dizzy and warm with her affection.

"You need to get dry…" she offered and flicked a look at Zac who nodded and stroked her back comfortingly.

"I'm not letting go" she said and Zac chuckled.

"I'm not going anywhere" he promised, his voice warm with his smile.

"I couldn't see you…" she said again, forlornly.

"I was there, all along. Even when you couldn't see me" he said and he wasn't sure himself if he was talking about now or before they had met again, but he liked being here for her and how she was accepting his embrace.

Her admission that last night wasn't a mistake after all was enough to make him feel on top of the world and he hugged her really tightly as he sighed, knowing he had to let go.

"We have to get dry, baby" he said softly, tipping his head to look down on her. She was still wrapped around his middle and she lifted her beautiful face to him which he studied carefully, his tenderness toward her evident as he smiled a little and leaned down to kiss her softly, moving her wet hair from her face gently as he pulled back.

"Let's find a towel" he suggested and linked their fingers, tugging her over toward Dom and Marg who were handing out blankets and there were three towels doing the rounds which they borrowed to take off the worst of the dampness, casting off their soaking jackets as well.

Zac pulled his beanie off and exposed his crazy hair as he took a seat on the dry floor of the cave as the ladies lit up the gas burner and began making hot drinks.

"Good grief Efron, put that mess away" Jen teased as she came over with a hot chocolate and handed it to him, brushing her fingers through his hair

He curled his lips into a rueful smile and caught her wrist as she went to take her hand back.

"Are you taking the mickey?" he asked.

She nodded "Yep".

"So you don't like my hair?" he wondered as he lifted his brows.

She tilted her face as she studied him. "No, I do" she hid a smile.

"Wanna tame it for me?" he asked, twining their fingers together.

"Mmm, maybe" she pouted then knelt before him as he sat cross-legged and she began to tidy his fringe from his eyes with deep concentration.

He smiled at her from under his lashes. "So did you make up your mind yet?" he asked.

"About what?" she asked distractedly, finishing her work on his wild hair and running a gentle hand down his face before placing both her hands in her lap.

Zac picked up his drink and sipped, handing the mug to her so they could share it.

"About going home with you" he broached.

Jen sipped from the mug and passed it to him, pressing her lips together and their fingers brushed as he took the drink once more, leaving his skin tingling.

"Well, how do you feel about it?" she asked lightly .

He reached out and took her hand from her lap. "I feel like I'm not ready to face the reality of LA yet" he admitted.

She cocked her head and gently ran her thumb over his fingers "Okay, you can come and meet mum and dad. But I'm only going for a day because I'm booking a flight as soon as I get home." She warned.

"Okay" he nodded, meeting her nervous brown gaze. "What is it?" he asked.

"They're going to think…" she blinked and shuttered her eyes from him "I've not really taken guys home before" she said with a little hitched breath.

"And you don't want them to think we're together" he guessed.

"Are we?" she asked furtively and he lifted his brows at her directness. It was coming from a long two weeks of avoidance of the subject.

He reached out and touched her face "I don't just sleep with anybody" he smiled a little, handing her back the mug as it remained unused in his hand and she cradled it in her lap as she dropped his hand and watched his face intently.

Zac panicked at her lack of response and touched her knee "Are you having second thoughts?" he asked.

"No!" her eyes shot to his and then she closed them "God, I'm so sorry for making you think that. It's just so…complicated" she explained, fiddling with the mug and taking another sip of drink, putting the cup to one side and shuffling forward, wrapping her arms around his neck awkwardly as she leaned across his folded legs and he cast one leg out, almost bringing her into his lap as she relaxed against him and he snaked his arms around her waist.

"I know, baby" he whispered into her ear as she clung to him.

"Please, don't think I don't want this…Just…let's just deal with it as it comes?" she suggested.

"Oh look at you two!" Joan said warmly from behind Jen and Jen pulled back shyly from Zac's arms, exposing his tight groin somewhat so he caught her waist in his hands gently and cuddled her against his body as she turned to face her friend and she cast him a quizzical look, but sat in the space between his thighs as his legs braced her curled body.

"Hi Joan" Jen grinned.

"I'm so happy you two made it up" Joan smiled "Look at you, young man, all happy and smiley!" she teased and Zac blushed.

"I don't know how long for with this storm. I don't wanna be caught out here again" he admitted.

Jen lay her head against his chest as he cuddled her "We'll be okay" she assured him.

"Dom said we'll camp here tonight and start early tomorrow to get back in time. I came over to see if you need any fresh bedding? We don't have many extra but we've pooled what we had and are handing them out now."

"I'll just sleep in my sleeping bag" Jen offered and looked to Zac.

"Me too" he nodded.

"You can keep each other warm" Joan winked

Jen smiled "Something like that"

"That's if you can keep your hands off him for a whole night?" Joan questioned Jen gently "Hunk like that…" she led and Jen giggled, making Zac's tummy turn inward at the delicious sound.

"I'll try!" she joked back, placing an affectionate hand on his chest briefly.

"You'll try?" he growled in her ear as Joan moved off and he brought his knees up, trapping her into his body.

She giggled again and twisted in his arms awkwardly "What was I meant to say?" she challenged.

"I don't know! That I'm irresistible and it's impossible to keep your hands off me?" he suggested.

"Oh Zac, really?" she scoffed, running her hands into his hair as she faced him boldly

"Yeah, really" he said, pretending to be hurt.

"Okay" she said with a light in her eyes and she leaned up to reach his ear "You're irresistible and I can't keep my hands off you" she murmured sexily and he felt his groin heat swiftly, tightening his trousers even more as he groaned out loud.

"You didn't just do that" he murmured with a tight voice as he laid his forehead on her shoulder

"I did" she teased warmly, stroking the back of his head as he hid his face and he felt her soft curves pressing into his body, connecting with his hardness.

He tilted his head and kissed her softly on her neck and he felt her stiffen in his arms with awareness, sighing gently as they embraced in the corner of the cave.

He tucked his legs around her and they sat entwined as he lifted his head and framed her face to kiss her, their lips meeting in a slow, exciting kiss that had him wishing they were alone right now as she squirmed in his lap, casting her arms back around his shoulders to pull herself closer to him and she dipped her tongue into his mouth, causing him to shift against the increasing level of desire he felt rushing around his body and pooling in his already painful groin.

"Zac…" she panted as she wrenched her lips from his and clutched at his shoulders.

Zac let his breaths slow and steady before speaking, wondering what the rest of the group made of the pair of them making out in the corner, but no-one seemed to be paying much attention as they busied them selves making adhoc food for the group.

"Yeah, it's not going away, huh?" he joked as she unfurled from his body.

"You are way too tempting in this small space" she sulked and he wanted to kiss her pouted lips but knew better than to allow himself that pleasure.

"I'm gonna go help with dinner" he said, gently stroking her dark hair back from her face as it escaped her ponytail.

"Okay" she nodded and moved so he could get up, cuddling her arms around herself as she rested up against the wall, deep in thought.

"Hey, you ok?" he asked worriedly before he moved off.

Jen nodded and smiled fakely at him and he didn't want to push the subject so he turned and brushed a hand through his hair as he took a breath to calm his taut body before joining the group.


	15. The Storm Returns

**CHAPTER 15**

I watched Zac move over to the group, his long legs wrapped in combats and wearing a soft grey jumper that was so comforting to lay my face against, I wondered if he would miss it if I tried to steal it later.

My own outfit was hardly attractive- the same type of utility trousers and a vest and jumper, my hair damp and greasy from the lack of washing facilities while we trekked.

The rain continued slowly outside and I went to investigate the toilet facilities as the group was busy round the cooker. The damp air was creating a tightness in my chest that I tried to shift by coughing but the painful cough didn't ease the feeling. I hugged myself as I wandered back toward the cave and I wondered when was the last time I felt warm apart from when I was being heated by Zac's kisses.

By time I came back, Zac was charming the ladies in the group with a story and even some of the guys as they sat round and listened to him intently as his face lit up animatedly and he talked from the side of his mouth as his hands moved expressively before him and I watched him with a little proud smile on my face.

I headed back to our little spot and pulled my sleeping bag from my rucksack, curling up on the floor and laying my head on the rolled up bag for comfort as I felt my eyes close tiredly and I let sleep overtake my aching body.

I woke slowly as the smell of food wafted to me from my slumber and I sat up groggily, squinting into the dim light of the cave, seeing everyone being dished out some concoction that Joan had made and I smiled sleepily as Zac headed over with two pots of food and hunkered down onto the floor next to me.

I wrangled with a blanket as it restricted my arms and I realized he must have covered me over while I was sleeping.

"Did you bring this?" I checked slowly sitting up, my tired muscles cramped and needing stretching.

"Yep. You're determined to freeze to death aren't you?" he said with a 'dad' tone.

"Sorry, I'm just so tired" I yawned as he handed me a pot and I peered into it seeing a kind of sausage and bean casserole.

"You ok babe?" he checked as he took a scoff of the dinner.

I frowned "I think so, I just feel kinda dizzy…" I said vaguely, my arms going numb as I said it and I had trouble focusing.

"Hey…" Zac looked at me with concern "Look at me" he asked gently and I felt my head grow heavy and I leaned toward him to rest against his shoulder, my eyes closing as I met his strong body and my body went limp as everything went black.

---

I opened my eyes and squinted, trying to focus around me, finding myself surrounded by white and realizing pretty quickly I was in hospital.

I looked around me and saw Joan at my bedside and I opened my mouth in shock.

"Joan?" I croaked and she smiled at me gently .

"Hi, Jennie" she stroked my forehead.

"What happened?" I asked, confused.

"A little too much cold and damp for your body it would seem, they gave you anti biotics for a chest infection" she explained gently.

"But I felt fine…" I frowned, remembering my aching bones and tight chest and thinking maybe I hadn't.

"Well, you weren't" she mused gently to confirm my thoughts.

"Thank you for coming with me" I said, looking past her for Zac "I would have been sad if I didn't get to say goodbye"

"I have to go soon but I couldn't leave without knowing you were going to be okay" she said with affection.

"Is he here?" I wondered shyly.

She nodded "Of course he is"

I blushed "Is he ok?"

"There were some problems with press waiting outside, he's had to call his agent or something…" she muttered and my eyes went wide.

"You know?" I asked in shock.

She nodded "Its ok, I'm not going to expose you or anything" she assured me.

I smiled "Oh my god, I didn't want this for him, I didn't want to cause problems" I panicked then.

"Don't move a muscle, I'll go get him."

"Wait…not if he's busy…" I made a weak attempt to stop her.

"He told me to come get him as soon as you're awake" she insisted and vanished, leaving me to close my eyes painfully as I worried about the press bothering Zac on his holiday.

I felt his fingers brush my hair back gently from my forehead and skim down my cheek, forcing me to open my eyes to him, nervous and unsure of what I would see.

Zac's stubble was almost a beard now and his eyes bagged tiredly but their blue was so soft and he looked so relieved to see me that I felt my tummy flip excitedly as I turned my face into the palm of his hand and reached out, not quite sure what to do with my hand, but knowing I wanted to touch him.

He smiled and took my hand in his, sitting on the edge of the bed, stroking my hair with his other hand.

"You had me worried for a bit there" he scolded lightly.

"I'm sorry. For everything- for the press and for ruining your break…"I felt tears slide from my eyes and I struggled to sit up.

"Whoa, you stay there" he smiled gently .

"I want to hug you" I sulked and his eyes flicked across my face before he leaned right forward and let me wrap my arms around his neck for a moment.

"You don't have anything to be sorry for" he assured me, touching my nose as he pulled back.

"If I didn't get ill then you wouldn't have had to bring me here and the press…"I began quickly but he cut me off with a finger to my lips.

"…Would have still found me somehow" he finished my sentence.

"Have they called my parents?" I checked nervously.

"I did." He admitted.

"What did they say?" I wondered.

"They wanted to drive down and see you but I told them you'd be out tonight and we'd go straight up to see them" he explained.

"Do they know…about us?" I asked .

He shook his head as he twisted his mouth "I thought I'd leave that to you to explain" he suggested.

"Okay" I nodded, feeling tired again.

"You sleepy, babe?" he said intuitively.

I nodded.

"Okay, you rest, I'll be here when you wake up" he promised, kissing my knuckles as I closed my eyes again.


	16. Meeting Mum & Dad

**Thank you for commenting – love you guys!**

**CHAPTER 16**

Zac linked his fingers through Jennie's as they exited the taxi and faced her parent's home and he looked down on her, squinting one eye with uncertainty.

She smiled and touched his face "Stop worrying" she chided lightly as they made their way down the path, not even halfway down it when the door opened and a small woman ran out in her slippers, hugging Jennie and severing their contact as Zac stood awkwardly for a moment.

"Oh Jennie, I am so happy to see you! Are you okay? What happened?" The older lady questioned hurriedly.

Jennie pulled back and smiled as her mum took her face in her hands.

"Just an infection, mum, nothing bad" she assured her, her mum turning to Zac.

"And there's Zac" she greeted easily.

Zac smiled at her warmly "The one and only" he joked with an eyebrow lift nervously and he felt Jennie slip her hand into his again.

"Thank you for taking care of my baby" she added gratefully.

He shrugged "I wouldn't have it any other way" he said gently and Jennie's mum gave her a look.

"You two better come in" she said with a little sigh and Jennie looked to Zac worriedly with a frown.

Once they had sat down in the living room and Kay had handed them hot drinks and biscuits, she brought out a newspaper, the headline screaming 'Hide-away Honey' and a fuzzy picture of them both on the trek, holding hands adorned the title page.

Jennie gasped beside Zac and took the paper with a shaky hand, reading the article.

"Oh my god" she whispered in shock.

Zac pressed his lips together, already knowing this would be coming because his agent had warned him but he was hoping to shield Jennie from it for a bit longer.

"I'm so sorry, Jen" he said gently beside her. Leaning back to stretch his arm across her shoulders and comfort her. "I don't know how they got pictures of us, but they did" he sighed.

Jennie looked at him with her big brown eyes and he couldn't read her look.

"They say I'm your secret girlfriend that you've been hiding" her mouth twitched with a smile.

"They know about Tam" he added gently and she nodded.

"I know. Going back is going to be…interesting" she sighed.

"I guess I am missing something" Kay said faintly and Zac had forgotten she was there, almost.

Jennie looked at Zac briefly, then stood "Mum, you know what? Shall we go make up the spare room for Zac?" she asked pointedly and Zac relaxed back on the sofa.

Kay nodded knowingly "Ok, don't worry Zac, David will be down in a minute to keep you company" she said of her husband.

"Okay" he smiled tightly, his head spinning in all directions as he closed his eyes and laid his head back on the sofa.

There was going to be one big mess to sort out when they got back, that was for sure.

"There's the famous actor who's dating my daughter!" came a jolly voice that scared Zac into standing up nervously as David entered the room.

"Hello Mr. Gosling" he swallowed, holding out a clammy hand.

"Oh, put that away, son" he smiled warmly, patting him on the shoulder as he pointed for him to sit back down which Zac did and watched carefully as David plopped into a chair opposite him.

Zac steepled his fingers in his lap and flicked a look to Jen's dad.

"So, I know all about the actor" he said with his deep voice, his thick-set build folded into the chair comfortably "But I know nothing about the man" he lifted a brow.

Zac smiled at him "I dread to think what the papers have been writing about me…" he began hesitantly "But, I already know Jen. This isn't a new thing out of the blue. I assure you I'm not the kind of guy who would take a relationship lightly" he said seriously.

"I remember your name being mentioned in phone calls home" David commented "I know Jen was very fond of you. I take it that the trek brought you together again?" he wondered.

Zac nodded "Yeah, we kind of got closer again and…I guess I realized that she's very special to me and I missed having her around" he finished.

"What with her put-downs and mood swings?" her dad joked.

Zav grinned affectionately "She's the only one I know who isn't afraid to call me an idiot" he admitted .

"That's my girl" David commented, but proudly with a little smile. "So you get this media fodder all the time?" he asked "We had some knocking on the door and calling" he admitted, forcing Zac to lift one side of his mouth in regret.

"I can imagine that would have been difficult for you" he said.

David chuckled "I haven't seen my daughter in almost six months so not a lot surprises me but I was curious to meet you" he added "How has she been?" he asked with a worried squint.

Zac couldn't help but let his soulful eyes flick up "Mostly okay" he hedged.

"But she's struggling with Jay's imprisonement" he added "I know that much"

Zac nodded "Yeah, it's kinda hard for her" he said briefly.

"Dad, stop interrorgating him" Jen's voice came warmly from the doorway and she came in and sat next to Zac once more, leaning her head on his shoulder as she sagged tiredly into his body and he shifted to accommodate her, his arm protectively scooping around her shoulders.

"Well I want to know who this hot-shot actor is they talk about in the papers" he teased and Zac grinned amiably.

"You already know, dad. You met him before, remember?" she replied.

"I remember" he smiled at Zac, then and Zac curled his fingers around Jen's arm gently, stroking her there a little.

"I'm tired" Jen said softly, tucking her legs up and turning her body to lay in Zac 's lap where he stroked her hair as her cheek met his thigh.

"I'm going to go make some food for you youngsters" David offered with an affectionate smile as he watched his daughter relax into the young man's lap. He'd never seen her look so comfortable and happy with anyone like this before and it surprised him and pleased him at the same time.

---

Zac stripped to his boxers and rolled into the bed of the spare room, finding his tiredness washing over him. He'd been so worried about Jen when she had passed out and the rush to the hospital, followed by meeting her parents, today was quite a drain on him.

And then in the back of his mind he had the worry about the press and the stories that had been printed about them both and how Tam would react.

What was happening between him and Jen was certain, but so new, he had no idea how this was all going to roll out when they got back to LA and he worried about Jen not being able to deal with it all. She seemed so fragile sometimes and he knew he couldn't always be there to look after her, like he wanted to be, but he wanted to try.

He heard a faint knock on his door and checked the clock, seeing it was gone midnight and he had been laying there for an hour without sleeping. He waited while he saw Jen slip into the room and close the door, padding over toward him and he could barely make out her figure in the dark but he felt her weight tip the mattress a little and he smiled into the darkness at her sneaking into his room.

He had wanted so badly to hold her in his arms again but he guessed she needed some space and had returned to the spare room obediently.

As soon as she curled into his body, he cuddled her into his chest protectively, gently smelling her hair which was freshly washed and smelled of shampoo.

"You should be sleeping" he murmured softly "Promise me you'll rest when we're home?" he asked.

"I don't think there's much chance of that" she mused "I have to find a job as soon as I get back or I'll be evicted for not paying rent"

"What happened with your job?" he wondered then, realizing she had never told him the story.

"I got sacked because I was having so much time off with depression" she admitted softly against his bare chest and he felt an instinctive kick in his gut as he curled his arms around her and kissed her hair.

"I can't believe they would do that" he commented "Have you got enough money until you get another job?" he worried.

"I think so" she hedged.

"You know I will help you out, in any way…" he began vehemently.

"I'll manage" she said quietly, fidgeting her hands and he felt them brush his skin. "And if I don't, I have to come back to England" she added sadly.

"You are safe now, aren't you? The gang isn't going to come back?" he questioned.

"Zac, really, you don't need to worry about me. You have an amazing career and you should concentrate on that, not my problems"

"Jen, I will protect you, no matter what, you know that don't you?" he asked her as she cuddled him still.

"As long as Jay's gang don't find out I was attacked, then everything will be ok" she explained.

"How did he get you caught up in his? I can't believe he let you…he let them get to you" he adjusted.

"I can't change it, Zac. I can only move forward right?" she asked.

"Right." He ground out.

She shifted and reached up, wrapping her cool fingers around his neck and causing him a shiver where she brushed his hair there. Her lips met his gently but insistently and he kissed her gently back.

"Thank you so much for…" she paused "Just, you know" she finished and kissed him again and he felt his body react predictably but he knew he couldn't act on his urge.

He pulled away and brushed her hair back "You need to rest" he chided

"Okay Efron, I'm sleeping" she murmured, curling up again into his body and he held her close, not wanting morning light to come because then they would be back on the plane to LA and everything would change, all over again.


	17. Coming Home

**CHAPTER 17**

"Okay, you know there's going to be a lot of paparazzi out there, right?" Zac asked me nervously as we grabbed our luggage and trailed through the airport.

"I do" I said calmly.

"And you're okay with the plan?" he asked again.

I rolled my eyes at his back. We had been over this three times already- twice at home and once on the plane.

My mum and dad had told me they approved of Zac and they told me they would visit soon to see Jay and me and I had cried a little as we had hugged goodbye.

The plan that Zac had concocted meant I was going to face the unknown reception first and try and bundle through the arrivals lounge without anyone taking too much notice of me while they were waiting for Zac and then he would follow, taking the limelight directly onto his broad shoulders like he was used to doing. I didn't like the thought of leaving him with all the pressure but he wouldn't have it any other way.

My friend, Mark, had agreed to come and pick me up and meet me in arrivals and my heart was pounding with fear as to what I would find when I went out there.

I turned to Zac before we got there. "I'll see you soon" I said, not sure what our plans were for meeting up next because we were both waiting to see what the reaction would be.

"I'd like it to be tonight" he said sleepily "I'll call you" he promised and I nodded and he leaned down to kiss my forehead and I ran my hands into his hair, pulling his beanie from his pocket and tugging it onto his head playfully.

"You look gorgeous in your beanie" I smiled "Treat your fans, huh?" I suggested and I turned, hiding behind a group of travelers as I came down the runway toward the waiting photographers and tried to spot Mark.

"You fucking bitch!" I heard someone scream and I saw a body running at me, recognizing Tam straight away and my eyes widened in horror.

What in the hell was she doing?

Flashlights went off around us as she bundled me to the floor and I scrabbled against her flailing arms.

"Tam!" I shouted, trying to restrain her "Get off me!"

"I saw you holding hands with him!" she accused "You were on MY side remember?"

"Tam!" I yelled again, protecting my face as she tried to slap me "The cameras!" I pointed out as a flurry of paparazzi interest focused on us two girls fighting in the airport.

"I don't care! They should know what a backstabbing bitch you are! You're supposed to be MY FRIEND! Doesn't that mean anything to you? You just sleep with my ex and you think that's ok?" she shouted, upset.

I could see two guards approaching and they pulled her off me and I was so tempted to throw some truths back in her face but I wouldn't give the press the satisfaction.

Shaking like a leaf from the shock of her attack, I felt tears slide down my face as I got up from the floor and looked around frantically for Mark and I couldn't see him, the bright lights disorientating to me as I covered my face and tried to hide from this horrible exposure.

"Hey, I'm here" came Zac's warm voice in my ear as he wrapped his arm around my back, setting off even more flashbulbs if that were possible and he directed us quickly along the runway toward the car park, Tam being held back by the guard as she spotted Zac and saw that he was protecting me and she got even madder as she tried to break free but the guard held her strong as my gaze was glued to her and implored with her silently.

Zac helped me into his waiting vehicle and climbed into the back, instructing the driver to head for my place and I gave the address a little shakily.

His arm was constant around me and his murmurs soothing as he rubbed my arm with his hand and stroked my hair with his other.

"Shh" he said, cradling me into his side and I looked up into his face, curling in the back seat into his lap, which he accepted with a big hug around me and held me tightly to him.

"Wow, I hadn't expected that" he admitted softly as I calmed down and my tears stopped.

I had wrapped my arms around his neck while I buried my face into his shoulder and I wasn't ready to let go.

"She's so angry" I said forlornly.

"Yeah…" he murmured, shocked.

"I knew she'd be upset, but…" I pulled back from his shoulder.

"I know" he agreed gently "What do you want to do?" he asked me honestly.

"Hey- don't you dare think I'm bailing on you" I accused gently, touching his cheek.

He smiled a smile that turned my tummy and warmed my whole body.

"Will you walk me up to my apartment?" I checked as we reached the building and I noticed that there were some paps outside there too. "Oh crap, perhaps you should go home" I changed my mind.

"No, I wanna make sure you're home safe" he insisted and we ran out of the car, up to the second floor, avoiding the photographers a little.

When I got up to my apartment, all my belongings were in bags outside the door and the door was open with someone rummaging inside.

--

"HEY!" Jennie called "What's going on!?" she walked in and found the landlord clearing out her things.

"You're late paying, I got another tenant" he shrugged.

"You can't just come in here and throw my stuff out!" she protested and Zac trailed into the apartment after her, shocked at the fact that Jen was that far behind with her rent.

"I can actually, so you can put your boyfriend on a leash" he pointed to Zac and he looked up, surprised he was brought into this confrontation.

"Look, dude, we just got back from holiday, at least give us some time to pack up" he argued.

"Afford a holiday huh?" he humped to Jennie.

"I paid" Zac said flatly, moving past Jennie into the space and stepping up to the landlord who met his gaze.

"Okay, you got two hours and then it's in the skip outside" he allowed and Jennie threw her hands into her hair.

"Okay, you know what, you should just go before any more paps turn up outside" she turned to him, her eyes desperate and showing the strain of her return to LA.

"I'm not leaving you homeless!" he protested quickly and she sighed.

"I'll call Mark. I don't know where the heck he is but I can stay at his for a few days at least" she assured him.

"Jen…" he said with a look that said he wasn't giving in on this.

"Please, Zac. This is my life, okay. It has nothing to do with you" her tone wasn't rude but her words still hurt him and he frowned, rubbing his lips together.

"Sure, okay. Nothing to do with me" he repeated and turned to go, casting a look back at Jen before he went, his heart burning painfully at the thought she had changed her mind after her many re-assurances that she wanted what he wanted.

But he considered what she had had to face on coming back to reality and it was a lot more than he had to deal with. But why wouldn't she let him share some of the burden?

"See ya later, Jen" he said and left the apartment


	18. Making Up

**Thanks for the comments everyone. I'm posting really fast now lol.**

**CHAPTER 18**

I threw my bags in Mark's doorway and headed straight for the sofa, laying out and letting myself cry for the first time since I had got back. Really, really cry. Big, painful racking, aching sobs that hurt me just to listen to them.

Is there anything else that could possible go wrong and make this living nightmare worse?

My best friend hated me, the papers were going to depict me as a bitch and I had no job, no money and nowhere to live. And to top it all off, I had not only gone and fallen in love with America's teen idol who was also my best friend's ex-boyfriend but now he thought I didn't care about him.

Mark gathered me up into a hug and let me cry out my pain onto his chest, eventually carrying me to his room where he lay me on his bed and covered me over and I found my not-quite-mended body was tired and sleep came easily.

When I woke, I knew I had to face the world again and the thought frightened me beyond comprehension. First things first, Zac had to know that I cared about him.

I rolled up in the bed and rubbed my eyes sleepily, looking at the clock and realizing it was already late and that I had slept through the whole afternoon.

I went through to the lounge and dug out my mobile, dialing his number in the hope he was still about but I guessed he might be at his parents explaining away all of the ridiculous stories that were being printed.

"Yello?" he said easily and I wondered if he recognised my number.

"It's me" I said hesitantly.

"I don't know any me's" he joked gently.

"Jen" I said with a little twist of my lips because I didn't want to smile.

"Jen? No can't be. I'm sure she told me I have nothing to do with her" he quipped drily and I knew he was covering his hurt.

"It is me. And I was wrong." I admitted "I'm sorry" I added for good measure.

"Did you find somewhere to stay?" he checked.

"Yeah, Mark's letting me use his sofa" I explained. "I kinda crashed out on his bed earlier"

"Not with him in it I hope?" he asked a little sulkily.

I felt a smile creep onto my lips. "No, Zac " I answered softly.

"That's good to hear" he replied.

"It wouldn't feel the same" I added. "I have to go, Mark's made me some food"

"Come by and see me" he said.

"When?" I asked.

"Anytime. I'll be waiting" he promised.

---

Zac squinted as he opened the door and found a hooded person there, the petite height and frame of Jennie giving her away, along with the fact it was his hoodie she was wearing.

"Please, don't shoot!" he joked and she flipped off the hood of the jacket, giving him a look.

"Can I come in?" she asked, her voice a lot softer than her eyes.

"Only if I get a hug" Zac grinned a little at her and watched her face break into a smile, walking into his arms as he closed the door behind her and held her tightly against his body, wondering what the heck had happened to him in the last two weeks because before he had gone away, he hadn't felt he needed anyone like he needed Jennie in his arms.

"I am so sorry, Zac" she apologized as she sighed and looked up at him, reaching up to kiss him and fusing their mouths in a desperate lock as she squirmed to be closer and he brought her body up into his solid arms, holding her off the ground as he flashed his tongue into her mouth and waited for her response; a desire-filled moan that had him hard and aching with need.

He felt her hands dive into his hair and he couldn't help his own hands exploring her body, resting her down to the floor and brushing his fingers up her body to unzip the hoodie, leaning back with surprise when he realized she was almost naked underneath the garment in only her bra.

He leaned his stiff groin into her hips "Wow" he breathed softly, eyeing her over-spilling breasts with his eager gaze.

"You've seen it before" she smiled with a becoming blush

"In a dark tent!" he chuckled, laying the back of his fingers against her sensitive skin and watching her face change as pleasure overtook her from his touch.

It was undoing him, seeing that one little brush of his skin against hers could make her eyes close and her teeth bite into her lip. He curled his hand around her whole breast, thumbing gently over her nipple and drawing another moan from her as she opened her eyes and her liquid brown eyes spoke of her hunger before her hands did. She began tugging at his t-shirt, lifting it over his head and then running her hands down his hard, muscled chest and around to cup his backside, bringing his straining hotness right into her body.

He watched as she swallowed and eyed him, her lips swollen with his kisses.

"Bed?" she said breathily and he nodded, his hair messed as he picked her up under her knees and carried her toward his room, laying her carefully on his large bed and climbing up to join her.

He slowly stripped her jeans off, kissing up the inside of her leg as he went, his stubble brushing the skin on her inner thigh. He heard her cry out against the pleasure the sensation brought and he smiled to himself, brushing his beard against her skin to make her moan some more.

As he peeled her underwear down, he kissed down her other leg and lay a gentle kiss on her ankle, finally allowing himself the pleasure of handling her curves as he crawled up her body and lay between her thighs. Her waist was small and womanly and he couldn't resist laying his lips there, brushing them up the curve of her tummy toward her belly button where he flicked his tongue and Jennie grabbed his hair and grasped for him as he trailed up her body further, licking under her breast as he reached to release her bra.

He felt her hands dive between them and fiddle with his fly and he leaned back to let her undress him, her small hands shaking with her desperation to rid him of his clothes and he watched on and tried to catch his breath against the heady desire she was rousing in him from her hands brushing his crotch like that.

Finally she scooped his jeans from him and he wriggled out of them, cupping her face with his hand as he kissed her again, strongly, pressing his boxer-clad body into her naked one, feeling her bucking and writhing against him.

He trailed his fingers down her hip, leaning back to dip his finger into her dampness and she threw her head back, clutching at his muscled arms.

"Zac…" she panted beneath him as he watched her ecstasy flicker across her face at his gentle touch.

He leaned to kiss her swollen mouth, his lips hard and biting. His groin, rigid and stiff, ached for connection with her body and he felt her hands pushing down his boxers which he stripped off and grabbed a condom from his drawer while away from her.

She gently took the packet from him and met his gaze as she began to stroke his length, encasing him in the sheath and running her fingers up his taut belly as he lay back between her thighs, swallowing his tension.

"Are you sure about this?" he whispered, stroking her hair gently at the side of her face

"Never been more sure" she assured him and he adjusted them a little, tucking her thigh across his behind him and sinking into her waiting warmth, curling his body as he became tight like a spring at the contact, ready to unravel and release.

--

If I had thought our first time together was intense, then making love with Zac again was mind-blowing. Every move he made I was aware of, every feeling, every nerve in my body awake to his strong body loving mine and the stress and the strain of our return just poured out through my hands as I ran them over his magnificent chest and I cast it from my body as I met his every stroke.

I was sure that I was never going to feel like this with anyone else and that his hands alone brought me alive with this unbearable wanting that couldn't be rid until he took me like this. Barely able to do anything other than abandon myself to his body and the sensations over coming me, I heard my voice cry out as my orgasm hit and I clenched him inside of me as he continued to thrust to his own climax, both of us falling against the bed in a sated, tingling heap, gasping for breath and I for one was groping for earth from the edge of heaven that I had just hit.

Zac's forehead touched my shoulder from his collapsed position between my thighs and I stroked his hair gently.

"I love your hair" I panted randomly, enjoying the feel of his muscled body.

He tried to scoot up on one arm, but he gave up and groaned, lying back against me and I giggled gently, running my fingertips down his spine toward his naked backside.

"I think you killed me" he protested, laying his head on my chest between my breasts as I drew patterns on his shoulder blades gently.

"I'm sure most of this was your fault" I returned teasingly and I felt him turn his face to place a kiss on my collarbone, then lower at the top of my breast.

"See!" I giggled, cupping his head to me as he kissed me twice more, and then managed to find the energy to roll from my body, removing his protection and laying to hold out his arms to me.

I flicked a look to him and happily lost myself in his bear hug; taking a breath in and smelling his clean skin.


	19. Opening Up

**I don't like this chapter but I didn't get to change it sorry.**

**Chapter 19**

"I can't believe I ended up in bed with you" I joked as I snuggled into Zac's warm, firm body.

"What's wrong with that?" he asked gently, tipping his chin down, some of my hair getting caught in his stubble bristles.

"Nothing" I smiled gently "But I kinda had it all planned out…" I hedged

"Oh..what was the plan?" he asked with keen interest

"Well I booked this little Italian place for dinner and I was going to apologise properly for being an ass and make it up to you a_fter _dinner" I said pointedly

"Well, we still have time. It's early yet. Id hate to ruin your plans and all…" he lifted his brows.

"Are you serious?" I checked.

"Sure." He smiled "Why not?"

"Well we might get seen…" I pointed out.

"That wasn't going to stop you before" he argued.

"I hadn't just had mind-blowing sex then." I commented drily "I'm going to be flashing like a beacon now" I mused "Look at my hair! Sex hair" I said as I rolled from bed and looked in his mirror, screwing my face up at my nakedness and grabbing a shirt of his from the back of a chair in front of his mirrored desk and throwing it on as he lay on the bed and watched me.

"Damn right it is" he growled huskily, launching from the bed to his feet and across to me so quickly I wasn't expecting it as he wrapped his arms around me from behind and watched us in the mirror, where he tried to train my gaze but I didn't want to look at myself or how well we fit together because it hurt enough already that I was sacrificing my best friend for him.

His hands ran down my tummy and splayed there as he gently kissed my neck, flicking his tongue out and tasting me, his lips trailing my ear as I sighed and relaxed back into him, the hot gushing feeling running down my body from his soft lips and wet tongue.

My hands cupped his at my waist until he moved them up over my breasts and I let go, wrapping my arms around his neck behind me, forcing my breasts into his hands and he thumbed my nipples again, the waves of pleasure building as each touch of his sent another pool of heat between my thighs.

His breath expelled against my ear in soft pants that made me excited to hear them as I shifted against the uncomfortable throbbing in my core once more and I brushed my backside against his naked arousal, arching and moaning at the contact.

---

"I cant get enough of you" Zac murmured in Jennie's ear, feeling his blood race around his body as fresh, raging desire stiffened and tautened his body and he was shocked at the intensity of it, the speed at which one touch of her body to his brought him to this state.

As she arched back in his arms and opened her body to him, he let his hands brush her curves, slipping off the shirt she had donned despite the fact that was what had started this basic urge within him to come over here and touch her.

"Zac…" she murmured back and he waited for her words but there were none and she didn't turn in his arms so he carried on his lazy perusal of her body, leading down into her curls and dipping into her soft, warm flesh between her thighs as she sighed in satisfaction, bringing him rigid against her round and perfect ass.

"Look, Jennie" he murmured, dipping gently in and out of her, feeling her writhing and stretching her body before him beautifully and leaving him able to see the whole thing in the mirror, his hand loving her and her magnificent reaction.

She still had her eyes closed "Look" he encouraged softly, kissing her neck again and lifting his gaze, seeing her flutter open her eyes and open her mouth in shock at what she saw. He watched her as she watched herself being taken to the brink of her ecstasy by his insistent fingers

"Oh my god, Jen…" he half groaned, half panted as he felt his control slipping and her body began to convulse against his fingers as her climax came and she clutched at his neck, her hair thrashing against his chest and leaving his skin tingling with awareness.

Her intimacy convulsed against his fingers as she cried his name and the heat he felt on touching her there made him ache to drive into her body once more.

She sagged gently into his body as her climax faded and he gently removed his fingers and held her around the waist, spooning her and kissing the back of her neck in butterfly kisses.

"Oh my" she murmured gently and he bent down, catching her up under the knees and carrying her to the bed, climbing onto the mattress on his knees and balancing her weight in his strong arms easily as he lay her down again and cuddled her protectively once more.

"You have got to stop doing this to me, Efron" she complained from her position in his arms, pushing lightly against him to let her up, which he did.

"Me? You're the one who went all sultry on me" he teased back with a twinkle

"Sultry?" she cocked a brow

"Well I could have said something else, but I thought you'd swipe me.." he muttered from the side of his mouth just as her hand swiped his arm "Like that" he sighed as he lay back on the bed face first and she padded around his room, picking up his shirt once more which he saw her cast on as he lifted his head.

"I think we missed dinner" she bit her lip as she peeked from his curtain outside.

"I think we did" he agreed tiredly

"I'm hungry" she complained

"Aww baby, cant we sleep?" he begged

"You men and your post-sex snooze!" she teased "You sleep, Zaccy" she said softly, coming over and stroking his hair affectionately "I'll make us some food"

"No...Wait" he protested, reaching for her wrist as he curled his naked body round to reach, looking into her glowing face, taking in her mussed air and swollen lips. "We'll order in…just order what you like, I'll pay" he offered

"Sleep, Zaccy" she kissed his forehead, stroking his fringe one last time as she headed out of his room, his shirt grazing the top of her thighs and hinting at her curvy backside beneath, hidden from view.

"Mmm" he groaned and laid his head down, following her advice and closing his eyes.

When Zac came out from his room, sleepy and disorientated from his unplanned nap, he found Jen fast asleep on his sofa. Her bare legs were curled under her and his shirt was resting tightly around her hips, showing off her beautiful shapely thighs and her flawless skin there, leading his eye up her body where she was curled into the sofa, hugging his sofa cushion almost in replacement to a body. His body, he smiled softly at the thought.

Her dark hair tumbled across her face and shoulders, hiding her sleep-relaxed face from him but he still felt a deep need to protect her from her vulnerable position.

He wandered over in his easy, relaxed way and gently cupped her shoulder as he stroked his hand down her back lightly and waited for her to wake, wanting more than anything to lift her into his arms and kiss her awake like sleeping beauty and he wondered where these strong feelings were coming from and how he could stop them.

Jen stirred slowly and let out a sleepy moan that hit him right in his groin and she curled toward him, laying her face against his bare shoulder, her hair tickling his skin there as he tightened his arm around her small shoulders and she shifted to get comfy against him.

---

"I'm going to see Tam tomorrow" she said quietly and he took a breath in as his stomach contracted nervously.

"Oh" he said, not sure what to say.

Jen looked at him as she pulled back from the pillow she'd made of his shoulder.

"That's all you can say?" she questioned and her words hit him deep in his gut.

"No…I…what do you want me to say?" he asked then.

"I don't know, Zac " she twitched her lips and he looked away, seeing her uneaten toasted sandwich on the coffee table in front of them. "How about, do you need me to come with you? Wanna talk about it?" she suggested with a look that told him he'd let her down already.

He'd taken her to bed and made love with her like he had never made love to another woman and now he was fucking it up with his serious lack of ability to know the right thing to say at the right time.

"Of course I'll come with you" he protested "And I am absolutely here for you if you want to talk about it." He sighed and rubbed his face, his bristly stubble rasping as he did so.

"I knew it" she said dejectedly in a tone he didn't entirely like.

"Knew what?" he asked, confused.

"I knew you'd have second thoughts" she said, getting up from the sofa and his eyes dropped to her thighs and appreciated the pale skin there.

"Wait a minute…I'm not having second thoughts. Don't use me as an excuse to break us up." He argued hotly as he got up, too.

"My best friend hates me so much she attacked me in an airport. I'm sacrificing her to be with you" she said, her hurt plain in her voice and bringing a stark realization to him exactly how much she was giving up just to be here with him.

"Am I your friend, too?" he asked with hopeful blue eyes.

She sagged her shoulders and cocked her head. "You know you are".

"Then lets forget about the sex and go back to our lives and we'll all live happily ever after" he suggested wildly, trying to show Jen just how outrageous their situation was.

Her brown eyes stared at him in a steady gaze until she stepped up closer, squinting at him as she wrapped her fingers around his neck so carefully he shivered against the goosebumps it caused.

"There is no way on this earth I can forget the sex, Efron" she said in her typical British humour, her words shocking him more than their fight.

"What?" he frowned bewilderedly, flicking his eyes over her face, looking for clues.

She leaned up and kissed him, their mouths mating in an emotional re-union as Zac realized she needed him just as much as he needed her.

---


	20. Rock Bottom

**CHAPTER 20**

I shifted as the light from outside roused me from sleep and I didn't feel a warm body next to me so I opened my eyes to check if Zac was there and he wasn't, the bed next to em was empty.

I crawled up to sit on the edge of the bed, checking my phone and seeing a text from Mark asking if I was ok which I replied to, apologizing for not letting him know I wouldn't be home.

I should get home, get dressed and start job hunting before anything got any worse and then I would go and see Tam once she had finished at her agency job.

"Don't you dare think I left you all alone…" Zac's warm voice came from the doorway where he manoevered awkwardly with a tray into the room, fully dressed in some ripped jeans and a grey tshirt that brought out the blue in his eyes.

I felt my face burn as a blush crept across my cheeks. "Oh please don't…" I begged as I covered my face then peeked at him.

"Breakfast in bed" he beamed and lay the tray down on the bed, sitting on his foot and motioning for me to crawl back onto the bed.

I rolled my eyes "This is embarrassing" I teased

"Why?" he challenged

"Because I don't deserve it, I haven't done anything" I said awkwardly

"Oh but you did…" he smiled and I took a piece of his jam-laden toast and ate it, eeying the scrambled eggs and wishing id had them before the sweet flavour of jam.

"I ddint and don't even try and come up with some tenous thing I did that's supposed to have helped you somehow" I warned with a giggle as he flicked his eyes up and pursed his lips.

"You stayed in my bed all night" he reasoned with his flicked eyebrow and the corners of his mouth curled, making me urge to kiss him so I leaned over and did just that.

"Believe me, it was tough to do" I joked and offered him the rest of my toast which he opened his mouth for and I shoved it in and watched as he chewed and I began scooping up the eggs and eating them along with the mushrooms and bacon.

"Don't tell me I snore?" he asked with a smile

"Mmm nah, but you do hog the duvet" I giggled

"You don't need a duvet!" he argued "You have me to keep you warm"

I smiled at his words and thought how sweet he was to say that. I sighed gently as I pursed my lips.

"I certainly do." I flicked my eyes down and swallowed "I have to go and sort my life out today" I ventured with a rueful twist of my lips.

"Want me to come with you when you see Tam?" he asked and I couldn't help my grin.

"I'm sorry I said that last night, I'm a bag of mixed emotions right now" I apolgised

"Do you want me to?" he asked again and I watched his blue eyes try and read my face.

"No, I need to go alone" I said eventually, shifting from bed with the tray which he took from me and leaned to kiss my lips.

"I'll clean up. You go get ready" he smiled softly as he turned away and I thought he looked worried. He was probably thinking once I had seen Tam that I would choose her over him and I prayed silently that I wouldn't have to.

---

My knuckles against Tam's door were sensitive to the hardness of the wood beneath them, the same as my whole body being aware to every sound around me despite the roaring in my ears from fear of this confrontation.

Twenty four hours had passed since I had got back from the airport, most of them in Zac 's arms and it seemed ironic to stand here ready to tell my best friend I was in love with her ex-boyfriend.

Zac didn't know it yet and it was something I was still fighting but it was definitely not something I could deny any more. It might have happened quickly, it might have happened out of the blue, in the most unbelievable circumstances, but the pounding of my heart at the mere thought of being with him told me very surely that I was in love with Zac in a no-going-back kind of way.

The door opened and I braced my body for another physical attack but instead Tam's eyes squinted accusingly and she blinked, turning from her door back into her flat, leaving me to make entry behind her.

"I'm surprised you had the gall to come" hse commented with an arched brow and I fought to recognize the girl who had supported me through everything.

"I know about the abortion, Tam" I said as though that would give me some weight in this argument.

She whipped around, her mouth opened in shock "He told you?" she asked, clearly stunned.

I nodded "And I told him about the gang" I added, knowing she would understand how hard that would have been for me.

She blinked "You always were really close" she said quietly "Did you always want him, secretly? Ready to steal him away from me?" she wondered sharply and I felt my tummy flip at her words, thinking for one second she was going to sympathise with me.

"Yeah, sure, didn't you notice? I was trying to get in his pants the WHOLE TIME!" I shouted back sarcastically, so angry and hurt at her for what she had done to him and angry with myself for letting this happen and even angrier with myself that I wanted this. I wanted Zac even if it meant lkilling my sisterhood with Tam and what kind of person did that make me?

"What in the hell happened out there, Jen?" she yelled "I opened the paper and there you were, holding hands with my ex-boyfriend after telling me you had to get away before you had a break down!" she flung at me.

"I didn't know he was going to be there did i?" I cast back, then softened my words "We had to share a tent and believe me, I was angry with him for what he did to you." I began to explain.

Tam dropped her eyes as hid from her lie. "And then what changed? What changed for you to think it was ok to sleep with him?"

"He told me the truth about your split, Tam. He helped me through my panic attacks. He held my hand when I was afraid and he protected me from this utter lech who was on the trip" I sighed, wanting to tell her he had called me baby but knowing this was too much for her to hear.

"You still have feelings for him don't you?" I hedged as a sudden realization hit me and my breath caught painfully in my throat at waiting for her answer.

She pressed her lips together and nodded "I guess I do. I guess I never really forgave myself for what I did and I hoped one day he'd forgive me…" she sobbed then and I felt a hot pain slice through my chest at her words.

"I would never…" I gasped "If I knew…oh my god…I would never have…" I took short, staccato gasps as the weight of her words sank me to the floor on my knees, clutching my face in my palms as my own tears fell.

"Oh my god, you love him" Tam guessed astutely and I felt her walk toward me.

I raised my wet face to her and begged with my eyes for her not to be angry.

"Get out" she whispered and I sucked a shocking cold breath into my hot, burning lungs.

My legs were wobbly as I stood "I can't help how I feel…" I argued pointlessly

"GET OUT" she repeated and I blinked, a tear dropping down my face and plopping off my chin onto my top.

I nodded and turned, leaving her flat and running away, letting the fuzzy images of the building whizzing past me fill my head as I felt my entire world crash around me.

--

Walking now,back to Mark's flat, I felt a familiar quickening of my heart as a group of boys rested on the wall outside the complex. A quick flick of my gaze to scan the unknown faces brought a crawling fear into the pit of my tummy as I thought I recognized one of their faces.

The tight squeeze of my heart brought with it a fuzzy flashback of the moment I was held against my will. I could be imagining it, but the face hovering around my eyes scared me and I fiddled with my key in the lock with a shaky hand, breathing eraatically as I tried to let myself in, uncontrollable sobs now spilling from my lips and then the key finally connected, bringing a whoosh of relief as I burst into my flat and slammed the door shut, vowing never to go outside again. Not after dark, not alone and NEVER while there were people around.

What if they were coming back for me after the article?

I gasped, placing my hand over my mouth as a deep, scary suspicion crept up my skin in ice cold realization.

What if they went after Zac?

I had to tell him, I had to make sure he was protected, even though I couldn't think of any reason why they would still want me.

But if I told Zac, he;d only feel responsible for me and that could be just as bad. I couldn't lay that burden on him and in a matter of days, he'd be visiting his parents, at least rendering him safe from the gang.

My mind turned to Tam, who I missed like crazy and I felt another stab of guilt at my betrayal.

The pain of that knowledge made me feel sick as I rushed into Mark's flat and ran for the bathroom, puking into his toilet bowl with a satifying wretch.

My lungs were still burning with the force of everything, tears stinging my eyes and I tried in vain to catch my breath, my wheezing chest hardly able to cope with it all as I saw sparkling at th edges of my eyes.

I vomited again, my whole body aching and wracking with the violent sobs taking me over at the thought of Tam still having feelings for Zac . The thought of Zac possibley feeling the same if he knew. The thought of having to decide between my best friend and the man I loved.

The world around me slipped away as my vision slowly darkened and I felt limbs go limp with exhaustion.

---

Zac pressed his thumbs into his lower lip, his flat hands laying together and his elbows rested on his knees; his gaze not leaving the hospital bed in which Jen lay, lifeless and sedated.

He closed his eyes at the thought of what might have happened on her visit to Tam's, which ultimately led to her admittance into hospital. He knew she still had a chest infection because she hadn't rested properly. They'd also told him she'd been vomiting and she was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Right now, he was that close to taking her broken body into his arms and carrying her away from this cruel world, to somewhere they could be together and she wouldn't have to deal with all of this.

He had just been getting ready to go to his aprents when the call had come and he was surprised that Mark had asked for him first above anyone else, but alos so glad that he could now protect her. One quick call to his mom had rested his mind that Jen was more than welcome at his family home and his plan was to take her there and tuck her away from everyone until she felt strong enough to return.

He reached out and stroked her fingers, knowing she was due to wake up soon, hoping he could stay here until she did. The doctors kept moving him away and the nurses kept asking for autographs which was distracting when all he wanted to do was take Jen into his arms and feel her breath against his face again. He wanted to see her smile, whatever form it came in-happy, sad, teasing. He wanted to hear her call him names or tell him he was sexy and he wanted to feel her body curl into his just before he fell asleep, the delicious feeling of her relaxing against him being his favourite moments of their trip.

"I can hear you worrying from here" Jen croaked and he shot his gaze to her, seeing she still had her eyes closed and wondering if she had opened them without his knowing.

"Hey…" he said softly, standing to reach and brush her forehead gently which made her lips curl.

"What are you doing here, Efron?" she joked as she squinted against the light and tried to sit up, but he moved her bed with the control so she could sit up and he sat on the edge of her bed to be closer, still holding her hand as her brown eyes focused on him.

"I'm visiting my girlfriend in hospital" he answered seriously, brushing his knuckles down her cheek with a whisper of a touch.

"And you stumbled in here by accident…" she mused, coughing a little.

"Want some water?" he asked and she nodded and he helped her get a drink.

"I spoke to Tam" she said and he nodded, stroking her arm

"Don't talk about it now", he said gently "You have to rest"

"There's something you have to know, though…" she persisted and he closed his eyes, sighing.

"There really isn't. As far as Tam is concerned, that part of my life is over" he said.

"She still loves you." Jen blurted and Zac had to take a quick look at her to make sure she had actually said those words.

And then it sank in to him what was going through Jen's mind. That once he knew this piece of information, she thought he would just drop her and pick up with Tam where they had left off.

He squinted at her, wondering if anything he did would convince her that it was her he wanted to be with. Not Tam, not some other, nameless, faceless girl. But Jen, with her big, selfless heart and her ability to remind him of what mattered in life, never mind what was happening around him.

"It doesn't change anything", he admitted honestly, meeting her gaze.

---

"When am I allowed out?" I checked gently as I took Zac's assurance that he didn't have feelings for Tam and tucked it away in my heart.

Waking up in here had not been a shock, I knew my body was at it's limit despite my hope that the two weeks away would help, it was obvious I needed a little more time to cope with everything.

Trouble was, I couldn't afford to without a little help and my parents had offered to wire me some money but ultimately, moving back to England seemed to be the best option.

"I'm not sure. You're on some pretty strong stuff for your infection" he twisted his lips.

"I'm going to go back to England" I said decisively, "I need to book a plane".

"You don't need to do that…" Zac began and I stopped him

"Zac , please, I do need to do this. I can't afford to stay here and if I have no job my visa will expire" I said pragmatically.

"You're coming home with me" he said then and I looked at him like he was crazy.

"sure, why not?", I quipped.

"I mean it" he said determinedly, with that tone he uses when he knows I am going to argue.

"You're going to San Luis, Zac . You donlt need me hanging around while you pack for your trip" I reminded him.

"Then come with me" his blue eyes flicked across my face, resting on my eyes and I felt my tummy tingle.

"I just need to get some stability, Zac . I need to get settled at Mark's and find my feet" I sighed.

"You can't go looking for work while your this ill, Jen" he begged. "Please, let me take care of you"

I looked into his worried eyes. What I would give to have one moment back where he smiled and looked relaxed and he wasn't taking on the weight of my problems.

"Go to your parent's, Zac . I'll be ok. I promise" I smiled bravely, touching his face. "I'll be out of here tomorrow and I'll catch up with you before you go" I added.

He nodded, his tense body loosening a little. "Okay" he allowed, sitting next to me on the bed and gently curling his body around me, hugging me as I rested there and slept.


	21. Apart

**Okay im getting the feeling not many people are enjoying this sotry, I'm double poting chapters in one shot now to finish it quickly and my nest Troyella story will be up soon!**

**CHAPTER21**

Oh holy fuck.

Laying in bed, fully dressed and waiting for Zac to collect me, I read the daily paper to keep my mind busy. Only on the front page of the paper was a headline that filled me with a sickening fear and I felt the bile in my stomach rise again, forcing me from the bed in a mad dash for the loo, where I fell to my knees and vomited into the toilet bowl inevitably.

'Efron dates Gang girl' was printed in my mind in big, black, fearful letters that I couldn't delete, just the same way I couldn't delete my past or my feelings for Zac .

But I might have to put them and my selfish need for him to the bottom of my heart because this could ruin him and I would not bear that on my soul.

Maybe he wasn't coming. The paparazzi backlash from this would be huge and it might be too late for me to call him but if he had wisely decided to stay away then I couldn't blame him.

The door behind me was wide open and I heard someone gasp and footsteps behind me.

"Oh my god, what happened?" his husky voice asked as he rushed over to me and knelt quickly, rubbing my back with a tender touch.

"Felt sick" I said and hung my head again, my stomach knotted and tight.

"Shit, you saw it!" he guessed and sucked a breath through his teeth sharply, the resulting hiss scaring me. "Fuck!" he swore again heavily and I looked at him.

"You shouldn't curse in hospital" I chided

"No I probably shouldn't but this is making you sick, Jen" he pointed out, his heavy reminder clunking down my mind until it hit me that he felt responsible for my illness.

"Don't…" I said quickly, suddenly afraid he was going to do what I had been thinking about all these weeks- pack it in and forget about the magnetic attraction we felt.

"Don't what?" he asked back, rubbing soothing circles on my back as I leaned back from the toilet and self consciously wiped my mouth, flushing the loo, twisting on the floor to face him and I took his other hand , tickling his palm with my fingertips where I watched with fascination as he closed his hand up against the sensitive contact.

"Don't tell me it's over" I begged

"I'm not going to" he said, turning his hand and twining our fingers as his eyes stared deeply into mine, lighting the fire that burned distantly within me.

Leaning forward, about to kiss him, I remembered I had just been sick and pulled back with a blush. "Sorry, I just puked" I said quickly, then cringed

"Come here" he said, cuddling me then stood to help me up.

"you came" I said with a frown.

He pouted his lips with a twisted eyebrow in a sexual innuendo kind of way.

"To get me " I explained with a smile at his dirty mind.

"Of course, I said I would" he placated, taking my hand as he led me from the hospital.

"I thought with the paparaazi and the story…" I said quickly before we reached the parking underbelly of the hospital and he helped me into his Audi S6.

"That I'd skip town?" he suggested lightly as he drove us out of the hospital.

"Maybe" I squeaked out

"Well you're wrong" he said with a grin. "You don't get rid of me that easy" he joked.

"Okay, well, I tried" I joked back as we got into his car and soon enough we were back at Mark's place.

Only Zac had to park down the street a little and the group of boys were back, making me instantly nervous at the sight of them, knowing it was more than co-incidence that they were there again.

"Hey, whats wrong?" Zac frowned and higged his arm around my shoulders, seeing me eyeing the boys as my body became rigid and my breathing shallow and he must have pieved it all together because he held me tight as he walked me up to my door.

"Hey, you're that Efron retard aren't you?" one of the cokcy teenagers called and Zac ignored them, taking me right to the door.

"I'm talking to you!" the kid said and pushed Zac's shoulder as he gently led me to the door and inside.

"Just go in, Jen" he instructed me and he turned to the kid as I watched from inside the safety of the building, my heart pumping madly at the thought of Zac facing these bullies alone.

---

"You touch me again, fucker, you won't call me retard again" Zac warned quietly.

"Oh the big star gets serious huh?" the boy said to him and he felt his anger rise, but fought with himself to saty calm.

"You better not come here again" he lifted his brow, easily taller than the punk in front of him.

So far his gang had been too scared to come forward. He wondered if they were the same gang who had attacked Jen.

"She's the one who should be careful, spilling to the papers" he warned.

Zac took a firm grip of the boy;s collar "This has NOTHING to do with her" he said quietly but menacingly "This is between me and you, buddy. You got a problem, we can sort it out" he said flatly.

The boy looked nervous for the first time, pushing against Zac ;s chest with force and sending his body away for a moment.

Zac smiled with a non- amused gleam. "Don't think I don't know you and what you did. If I could kill you now, believe me I would. But just because _I_ cant doesn't mean I cant make it happen." He added.

"Youre bluffing" the kid squinted his eyes, semi unsure.

"Wanna bet? You think money can't make a little shit like you disappear without a trace? I got plenty of it." He whispered, taking his collar again to get close to his face.

"I even smell you round here again, you'll be sorry. And that goes for your friends, too" Zac added, letting go of his jacket and smiling as though they;d just met.

"Well, say Hi to your sister dude" he said with a big grin as someone came up the path toward the complex.

He watched as the young man scuttled off, back to his friends, taking them with him and Zac hoped his words were strong enough to keep them away.

He headed into the apartment building, hoping Jen had gone up to marks flat but finding her standing in the foyer, shaking with fear.

"Jen, I thought I told you to go up" he admonished, hugging her.

"I can't do this, Zac " she said on a ghostly whisper.

"Sure you can" he smiled bemusedly, not quite sure what she was referring to. "They're gone now" he added, presuming she meant the gang.

"For now. Zac , I can't worry about you as well as me" she stated and he pulled back, frowning.

"Wait a minute, you're ending this aren't you?" he said knowingly, but with utter surprise too.

"I…" she started.

"I don't believe this!" he sighed out, bemused and insulted at the same time.

"Zac …" she tried again.

"No, you know what?" he asked, arching his brow, twisting his lips as his hurt painted plainly on his face and he watched her as his anger now surfaced. "Don't say anything. I've had enough of this" he said and let go of her, immediately regretting that as he missed her body.

Jennie gasped and he ignored the sound.

"I don't want you to get hurt, Zac . Because of me and those…those idiots" she gestured.

"Well, I AM hurt, Jen." His voice strained against his emotions "And it has nothing to do with them" he smiled without humour, turning to go even though his heart ripped from his chest with pain as he faced from her, knowing she was pushing him away and this time he was letting her.

He had promised himself he would never let her do that and here he was, turning his back. He shook his head at himself, but knew that he couldn't take much more of her rejection.

"I just cant bear it! The thought of them hurting you to get to me!" she screamed with anguished pain that stopped him at the door.

"If you wanted to be with me, you'd stop me" he said with gritted teeth, so frustrated by this whole scenario, so hurt by her easy dismissal of him when his own heart was screaming how much he loved her, how much he needed her.

If only Tam hadn't gone crazy on them, if only she hadn't lost her flat, if only she had a job and she didn't have to worry about anything but when they could be together again. But the if only's in life were what kept them apart.

Jen didn't speak and he couldn't turn to see her because he'd never walk out so he pulled a sigh from deep inside and pushed the door open, walking down her pathway as he screwed up his face with regret and he turned then, looking back and seeing her gone.

What had he done? He wondered silently, making the rest of the way to his car where he leaned on his steering wheel and let out some painful breaths before driving home.

---

"Jen, this is Zac we're talking about" Mark said gently as I lay on the sofa in dribbling tears, sucking the chocolate milkshake he'd made me through a straw, trying to swallow the liquid without choking as it stuck in my throat.

"Pease don't do this to me, Mark. I know I am a spectacular fucking idiot. I really don't need you to tell me that right now" I begged.

"He's gonna be sitting there waiting for you to call and tell him you made a mistake" he insisted.

"He's going to think he's better off without a girl who can't even decide if she wants to be with him" I pointed out.

"But you lied to him" Mark tipped his head, his brown eyes imploring with mine as he touched my arm.

I closed my eyes as I swallowed again, painfully, my throat reacting against the pressure.

"He doesn't know I love him, I haven't told him, okay?" I whispered as my hurt sliced at my chest.

"You didn't tell him?!" he said incredulously. "I thought you were going to, we made a pact!" he practically yelled as he got up from his position on his coffee table and ran the heel of his hand through his hair.

"Yeah and then Tam told me she still loves him and I couldn't bring myself to…" I sighed.

"So you split up with him instead" Mark arched his brow "Nice one, Jen"

I sat up, pressing my lips together "You have no idea what it's like! That gang- they could do _anything _to him! He means the world to me!" I screamed, though my voice came out rough and bruised.

"But he doesn't even know it!" Mark yelled back "Stop being a victim Jen! Your protectiveness of Zac would be charming if he at least knew why." He said with slow clarity.

I widened my eyes as a shocking breath sucked into my lungs. He was right. Zac just thought I was finding excuses not to be with him and the gang seemed like a pretty convenient one.

The thing I was most afraid of admitting was that I loved him and wanted to be with him. And I was so afraid of it I had pushed him away. And now even my friends were blaming me for my pathetic, cowardly behaviour.

"Don't talk to me" I said quietly, stomping to the bedroom and locking the door, knowing it was his room but not caring.

I had vowed once to never leave the house and if I hadn't passed out and been taken to hospital, I would have made a better job of it.

Now here was my chance to stay here, in this room, where it was safe and no-one could hurt me. And more importantly, where I couldn't hurt anyone else.

---

Zac laid his shoulder bag down in the doorway of his childhood home and rested his suitcase on the floor, the sight of the familiar family house not bringing it's usual calming feeling for him.

"Zac ?" Starla called, coming out on hearing the door and hugging him warmly.

"Hey, mom" he smiled as he hugged her back. He loved his mom's hugs so much.

"We missed you" she said, letting him come in and sit down.

"Me, too." He smiled gently.

His mom cocked her head and squinted. "How was England?" she asked "Is Jennie coming to stay?" she added as a second thought.

"England was amazing." He nodded "And no, Jen's not coming" he lifted the corner of his mouth.

"Oh, shame, I was looking forward to having a girl around the house" Starla smiled at him.

"Yeah, she split up with me, actually" he said nonchalantly, shrugging to hide his pain and cast off this feeling that had been following him around since he'd last seen her.

It was like a dark cloud was following him and he couldn't shrug it off.

"Honey, what happened?" Starla asked with concern and he pressed his lips together as she came and sat next to him, hugging her arms around his body sideways.

"I don't know. I guess even Hollywood stars get their heart broken" he said as the tears slid down his face slowly.

"Zac , you never told me you were in love." She said on a surprised breath.

"Well, there it is!" He pretend-smiled "I'm in love. And she doesn't love me back" he added.

"How do you know that?" his mom asked, stroking his arm to console him.

He shrugged again. "She just keeps pushing me away" he explained.

"And you let her? My stubborn, hard-headed boy let a girl go without a fight?" she asked lightly.

"But how do I know if she loves me, mom?" he begged , his blue-grey eyes turning to hers questioningly.

"How does she know you love her?" she asked back.

"She doesn't" he whispered, ashamed at himself for saying the words because his mom was right. He'd let Jen go without a fight and she didn't even know what she meant to him.

"I don't think you need me to tell you what to do" Starla said with a lift of her brow that matched his own.

"No, mom." He agreed, hugging her back and watching her leave the room, promising him snacks as she left him alone with his thoughts.

--

"Jen?" Tam's voice came timidly from the other side of the bedroom door and I frowned at it, wondering if being locked up had finally caused me to hallucinate.

"Go away hallucination" I said to myself.

"It's me, Tam" the voice came again and I wondered if it wasn't real. But Tam would never come here, not after the way we had left things.

"What do you want?" I asked instead.

"I came to see how you are" she said.

I laughed "You hate me! And so you should! I betrayed you. I'm worthless" I spat, laying my head back into my folded arms where I sat against the door.

"You're not that bad" Tam said in her typical 'trying to make you feel better' way.

"You still love Zac !" I called "And I took him from you. I took the love of your life" I began to cry at this thought.

"He's not the love of my life anymore, Jen. But he might be yours. Let me in?" she begged.

"He hates me too" I bawled. "I pushed him away Tam and he won't come back this time"

"Jennie, let me in and we'll talk about it" she begged.

I sniffled, moving to unlock the door and Tam broke in, eyeing me sadly, then pulling me into a hug.

"I missed you, sis" she said softly and I bawled even harder at her words, knowing how much I had missed her too.

"But you hate me" I said again "Everyone hates me" I repeated, relaxing against her supportive body as she soothed me.

---

"I'm going to call him" Tam said as she sat on the edge of Mark's bed and I sat on the floor by the door still.

"No" I said, lifting my eyes with fear.

"I can sort this whole thing out in a flash." She encouraged.

"No. this is my mess." I said flatly.

"Then you call him" she pulled out her cell phone, finding his number and passing me the handset with raised brows.

"I can't" I said quietly.

"Why not?" she frowned.

"I think you should go" I said, not knowing how else to avoid facing this almighty mess I had made other than avoiding speaking to anyone.

"Jen…" Tam said knowingly, taking her phone back and closing it.

"I need to be alone" I repeated, getting up.

"I'm your friend" she argued, getting up too.

"Please, just go" I asked again.

Tam stared at me and I felt my insides turn because of what I was doing. But this was my pain and my way of dealing with it.

"Fine, but I'll be back. Don't think I won't be" she lifted the corner of her mouth as she walked out and I shut the door, locking it safely behind her.

Even the mention of Zac 's name had me thinking about him all over again. Thinking about the amazing feeling his hands had when they brushed my body. The way he smiled or made me laugh. The way he was goofy and silly and no-one else saw his little looks of tenderness or touches to show he cared.

Inside this room with no-one to remind me of him or what I had done, in here everything was going to be ok.

---

"Jen, this is the last time I am going to ask you to come out" Mark warned.

I sat on the other side of the door and twitched my mouth, knowing he was serious.

"I promise you, I will do something drastic. Something you won't like" he added and I knew he was talking about calling Zac because he and Tam had threatened it several times.

"No!" I protested, getting up quickly.

"You have five seconds before I leave this flat and go to work" he added as I didn't appear.

"Please Mark, don't call him…" I begged.

"Four…three…two…" he counted down as his voice got quieter and I finally heard the door close, sighing heavily, hoping that Mark wouldn't follow through on his threat.


	22. The End

**This includes the Epilogue! Its finally over!**

**Thanks for those who did comment, next story will be up real soon I promise. x**

**CHAPTER 22**

Zac was led into Mark's flat by Tam and he was still getting over the shock of her turning up on his doorstep.

**

No sooner had he shut the door behind him and carried his luggage into his apartment, than he heard a knock and wondered briefly how weird that was. Had someone been waiting for him to get home?

Tam stood before him and it was the first time he had faced her since the day they parted, which was shock enough but the words she spoke shocked him even more.

"Jen needs you" she said simply, pressing her lips together as her big blue eyes pleaded with him and showed him exactly how worried she was.

"You made up?" he asked, confused, wondering what had happened in the four days since he had seen her last.

"She's been a mess without you" she'd explained without answering his question. "I happened to see a picture of her in the paper and I know her like I know my own self and she looked broken" she sighed and Zac felt a sudden tightness in his chest.

"I should never have left her!" he berated himself, running an angry hand through his fringe, messing it up.

"I couldn't just leave her…she means too much to me…and I guessed she means the same to you…" she hedged "Because she told me about five times not to call you and I just know how you worry about people Zac" she added with a little lip tug.

"I can't believe I walked away…" he sighed, grabbing his jacket and flicking his eyes to Tam.

"Don't be too hard on yourself. Our Jen sure knows how to test people" Tam commented as Zac followed her to her car parked out the front.

"And I know she's worried about how all this will affect your image…" she added knowingly "I think its time for us to intervene and remind her that she doesn't have to battle this out alone"

"She won't talk to you?" he wondered.

"She did, for a bit, but now she's barricaded herself into her room and she won't come out.

"Oh god, for how long?" he wondered starkly, feeling like the whole bottom of his world had opened up and dropped out from beneath him. What exactly had been going on since he'd left for San Luis Obispo?

"Since yesterday. Mark said he heard her come out after he went to bed but she won't talk to any of us. Jeez, Zac, what are we gonna do?" Tam asked and he saw her concern then. Her relaxed pose disappeared and her face lined with worry.

She'd obviously been trying to play it down so as not to panic him, but right now his heart was pumping like an express train at the thought of Jen needing him and him not being there for her.

"I'm gonna make sure I never let her out of my sight again" he promised wistfully and he saw Tam blink at his words, remembering with sharp insistence Jen's words to him, telling him Tam still loved him.

"So its true then, you do love her?" she asked gently.

"Is that what she told you?" he asked back, knowing he hadn't said the words, but the feeling was there in his heart.

"No. But I'm not stupid. I can see it clear as day" she smirked.

"I haven't told her…" he hedged carefully.

"Then you should, because she needs to hear it." She commanded "And by the way…" she added, turning the corner into Mark's road "She loves you too, she just can't admit it" she lifted her brow as she pulled up outside.

**

And now here he was, in Mark's apartment, facing a closed door, knowing his favourite girl was on the other side and wondering if she would ever open her door to him again.

--

Wrapped up in a blanket, arms around my legs, I heard a soft knock on the door and guessed Tam must be back.

She had been knocking on my door at regular intervals for the last 24 hours and as much as I loved having my friend back, my situation was just too much to share with anyone.

This one I had to cope with alone.

A male voice called my name gently and I looked up, recognizing the husk of Zac's voice instantly. What in the heck what he doing here? Oh god. I dipped my head against my knees. Tam must have brought him here and told him everything. So they had followed through on their threat to call him and now they had dragged him back into my pit of despair.

"Jen, please" he begged and his tone started the tears sliding down my face again.

Why couldn't everyone just leave me? Let me drown in my self pity and get on with their happy, carefree lives. Without worrying about me and wasting their time.

"Jen, there's something I want to tell you and I can only say it to your face" he continued outside my door and I edged up off the floor, creeping to my door.

Out of everyone, he really was the only one who had seen me at rock bottom and the memory of his support was comforting.

Was it too late for us? Had I completely ruined everything after hurting him the way I had? Could I really expect him to hold me until this pain of mine subsided?

I wanted to, so badly. I wanted to let him hold me and I wanted to tell him that everything I had said the day he'd left was a mistake and I _did_ want to be with him. I wanted to tell him I was so afraid that day, that my fear had overtaken everything else and I only wanted him to be safe. Nothing else mattered.

"I'm here" I said quietly, hoping he heard me and he did because I could make out his sigh through the crack.

"Jen, please let me in." he begged.

"I missed you" I said bravely, my breath catching at my words, tears falling softly on my face.

"I know, I missed you too" he answered and I felt hope from his words. "Please, let me in" he asked again and I fought with myself as my hand moved toward the key in the lock, my brain telling me to run and hide in my bed, but my heart overriding the voice from inside, propelling me to flick the key and I took a calming breath, knowing he had heard the noise of the door unlocking and noting he didn't try and open the door.

I placed my hand on the handle "Only you" I instructed.

"Just me, baby, I promise" he said emphatically and I twisted the knob, opening the door so that I was behind it and he couldn't see me until I shut it again and locked it.

His eyes were so blue I had almost forgotten the ache they started within me as he flicked them across my face with concern, not pausing to scoop me into his arms and bring me against his chest, tightening his muscled arms around me to the point I felt like the air was being squeezed from me.

"I have missed you so much" he claimed, his voice tight and pained.

"Zac , I am so sorry, I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have said what I said and I shouldn't have sent you away…" I babbled, clutching his shoulders, my tears interrupting my breaths, casting them erratically out between my words.

"Shh, shh, baby" he murmured, still holding me, still clutching me to his strong body protectively.

"But I never told you, I never told you that I was lying. I do want to be with you, I do…" I pulled back to face him, touching his cheek.

"I love you Jennifer Granger" he said before I could speak again and I felt my heart take a triple beat at his words.

"No, wait, I was going to…before you…" I frowned, gasping.

He merely smiled and leaned down to kiss me, his warm, soft lips like heaven against mine and it had felt like so long since he had kissed me like this, since his tongue had slipped into my mouth and since I had been able the thread my fingers into his wild hair.

"I love you too, Zac " I said as I pulled back, checking his blue eyes.

"Thank god for that. This could have been really awkward otherwise" he grinned and lifted me, spinning me as I squealed and he put me down, leaning to kiss me again and I hugged him once more, melding my body into his as we made up in the middle of Mark's bedroom.

---

"So you two made up then" Tam said drily from the doorway as Zac and I spoke softly and looked into each other's eyes.

Zac smiled at her "I guess we did" he offered, pulling his arms away from me and linking our fingers.

"Tam, thank you" I said sincerely "I'm sorry I've been such a mess. I promise, I'm going to get counseling, I'm going to sort myself out" I said bravely.

Tam nodded, flicking her gaze over the pair of us and I wondered how she felt, actually seeing us together.

"You two are perfect together" she allowed with a smile "I have to get back. Call me" she directed at me and I went after her, smiling at Zac quickly.

I caught her at the door. "Tam…" I said quickly, stopping her. "I'm sorry you had to see that, I don't want things to be awkward…" I broached.

She shrugged, her vulnerability showing in her face. "I'm always going to love him deep down. He's just one of those guys you never stop loving. But I know you're meant to be together. I'm happy for you" she added and I hugged her before she left, coming back in to face Mark.

"You can kick me out right now if you want to. You have every right to" I said in a small voice, tears starting again at the thought of what I had put him through.

"What and get my bed back? Why would I do that when I have a lovely couch to sleep on?" he joked, his brown eyes smiling.

I hugged him, too, crying against his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Mark" I whispered.

"Hey, buddy, that's my girl you're stealing there" Zac said lightly as he wandered out from the bedroom and I smiled, sniffling as he came over and did a man-hug with Mark before wrapping his arm around my waist.

"She's all yours. Way too much drama for me" Mark joked.

"I have to go soon" Zac said to me and I eyed Mark with a little smile and he nodded, vanishing to the bedroom.

"When can I see you again?" I asked lightly.

"All the time" he said, smiling inanely, pulling me into an embrace.

"What?" I smiled confusedly.

"Well, you are moving in with me aren't you?" he asked nonchalantly.

"Oh no…" I quickly objected, trying to put pressure on Zac 's arms at my waist for him to release me.

He leaned forward slowly, nudging my nose as his blue eyes stared into mine, his mouth set in a cute grin "You don't honestly think I'm letting you go again do you?" he asked with a little eye squint.

I couldn't help my answering smile "I guess not." I allowed.

"Then you'll move in?" he asked.

"Who am I to argue with the Efron?" I wondered lightly.

"That doesn't normally stop you…" he said suspiciously.

I shrugged "You want me to argue?" I offered.

"Maybe a little…I like bringing you round to my way of thinking" he drew his brows together.

"And how would you do that?" I wondered.

He flicked a look to my lips, pressing a kiss there, as I tilted my face to accommodate his action. I closed my eyes as he kissed me more, my knees buckling as his tongue flicked over my lower lip and I moaned aloud.

"Does that even work?" he asked huskily, his breath panting out.

"More than you need to know, Efron" I murmured back, gripping the back of his head and pulling him close again for another kiss.

**EPILOGUE**

Zac picked up a script from his coffee table and leisurely stretched his legs out, reaching for his coffee as his planted his feet on the surface and then leaned back, sipping his drink.

He felt Jen's legs curl across his thigh and into his lap and he flicked a look to her beside him, smiling over the rim of his mug.

"You comfy?" he checked as he watched her eat her toast.

"Mmm-mm" she nodded and he smiled, placing his cup down on the floor so he had a free hand to gently palm her thigh.

She wriggled under his touch "Oh, please, Zac…" she complained lightly and a devilish grin hit his face.

"What?" he asked innocently as she chewed her last mouthful and gave him a steady stare.

"All night?" she reminded him and he grinned again, remembering their insatiable night as much as she clearly did.

"Hey, is it my fault you wore those sexy things to bed?" he asked, eyeing her again in her pyjama's. They were just simple cotton plaid pyjama's but they had once belonged to him and it did all sorts of things to him, seeing her in his clothes.

"They're your pajama's. It's not like I'm wearing a negligee" she defended.

"Mmm, but you don't need to, baby" he smiled, dropping his script to reach for her face and he leaned to kiss her.

She crunched her body up to get closer to him and he lifted her into his lap where she straddled him as his thumbs brushed eagerly up her ribs.

"I know you're going filming next week but we'll still see each other" she said, half panting, half breathy from his touch and he loved that he could do that to her.

He kissed her neck, flicking his tongue out against the skin. "It has nothing to do with that" he assured her.

"Mmm, Zac " she groaned as he worked his lips down, gently lifting off her top.

"Just one more time?" he pleaded.

"My mom will be here at ten" she reminded him "Do I not already look like I've been loved several times over?" she asked.

"You do" he agreed, placing kisses still along her collarbone and lower toward her bared breasts. "That's what's so damn sexy" he growled, shifting her in his lap, his arousal protruding starkly into her clothed body from his boxers.

She pressed into his lap temptingly "Wow, that's a problem we need to fix before she gets here" she said solemnly and he nodded gravely, dipping his mouth to her nipple.

"Okay, just this once…" she agreed quickly "But don't think that I can't say no to you, Efron. Because one day I will" she warned.

"As long as it's not when I ask you to marry me" he joked and she paused from her pose, about to kiss him.

"What did you say?" she gasped.

"What?" he tipped his head, smiling at her adorably. "I said when I ask you to marry me…" he frowned, resting his hands on her hips as she remained still from their foreplay in his lap.

"When?" she questioned, awed.

"Yeah.." he shrugged, smiling bemusedly.

"Not if…not maybe…" she was processing the thought and he had to smile at her, hugging his arms around her body as she placed her hands on his shoulders, curling them at his neck gently.

"No maybe's for me" he assured her. "You thinking you might not want to marry me?" he wondered with a sulky lower lip.

"Zac , what are you asking me?" she wondered, confused.

He stroked her face tenderly and shifted against her weight in his lap. "Well I'm kinda asking you if you want to marry me, I suppose" he smiled amusedly.

She smiled at him, her hands moving to sink her fingers into his hair as she leaned forward and kissed him, her gentle, sweet kiss extending as she played her tongue into his mouth and he grasped her closer, remembering how this came about as she straddled his lap and he felt his body stirring again.

"I would love to marry you" she said as she pulled back and her brown eyes stared into his.

He smiled as he framed her face gently with his hands "That's all I ever needed to hear" he said, kissing her again.

"Wait…" she pulled away again, blinking. "Are we engaged?" she checked.

He slid his hands down her thighs that braced his "I think we probably are" he pursed his lips. "You're not calling it off already are you?" he asked mock-hurt.

"What in the heck am I going to tell my mother?" she panicked and the doorbell rang, causing her to look at him with wide, panic-stricken eyes.

Zac chuckled, watching as she climbed from his lap and his hands clung to her thighs as she went and he eventually let go.

"I don't know, but you better think of something quick because she's here!" he laughed and she shot him a look as she headed for the door, pulling on her pyjama top.

---

"Hello, Zac " my mum smiled at Zac as I watched him come out from our room, freshly dressed while I was still stuck in his pj's and I didn't miss the down-the –body glance he gave me.

"Hi Mrs. G." he smiled easily "Did Jen tell you we just got engaged?" he asked with a lifted brow and I gasped at him.

"Zac !" I admonished.

My mom looked at me "It's about time!" she teased.

"What?" I looked at her, expecting her to be shocked or disappointed or to say he wasn't good enough for me or something more parent-like.

"He asked your dad ages ago" she added and it was my turn to stare at Zac, mouth agape.

"How long?" I wondered, awed.

He shrugged with a blush and I realized my mom had made him feel uncomfortable.

"Mom, can you go in the living room and I'll bring the coffee in?" I asked gently and she vanished obediently, allowing me to drift to Zac in a daze. I pressed my hands against his lovely chest and looked into his amazing blue eyes.

"How long?" I repeated.

"About a month" he admitted to me now we were alone.

"Oh my god, our anniversary?" I realized quickly and he nodded with a little eye roll.

I frowned as I remembered back to that night and I wondered with fear when he had tried to propose.

He nodded "That was the idea" he smiled, lifting my hair behind my ear.

"I fucked it up" I guessed astutely, still sifting through that night and coming up empty for ideas as to how.

"You mentioned that you never wanted to get married and have kids" he smiled. "I didn't think my timing would be great if I went ahead and asked you anyway"

I lifted my eyes to his and clung my arms around his neck "And you asked me today after all that?" I wondered.

He smiled lop sidedly "I hoped you might change your mind" he admitted.

"Oh, Zac, I didn't need to. My mind was always made up about you. I love you okay, you doofus. I love you forever" I added.

He kissed me, softly, tenderly. "I love you too. Are you going to let me call you Mrs. Efron when we're married? Or will you pretend you're not with me and keep your name?" he teased.

"You better not call me Mrs. Efron" I said in a silky voice "It sounds far too sexy and my mom is sitting in the next room!" I joked back kissing him passionately as we embraced in the kitchen, clinging to each other.

After everything that had happened, I would have never guessed that this is how my story would turn out.

I pulled back and looked into Zac's eyes, seeing his promise there and returning it with my own shy smile.

"I'm gonna go flirt with your mom" he said and I laughed as he did a comical run for the living room as I followed up with the coffees, smiling at my future-husband to be.

----

**THE END**


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